Researchers have identified a link between stress-related nerve activity and the progression of pancreatic cancer, offering a new avenue for understanding and potentially treating this aggressive disease. The details were published in the journal JCI Insight.
A team at Oregon Health &. Science University (OHSU) has discovered that sympathetic nerves – those responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” response – extend directly into pancreatic tumors and may contribute to their growth. This represents the first research to suggest a direct role for stress in the advancement of pancreatic cancer.
The findings, published on March 4, 2026, in JCI Insight, demonstrate that activation of these nerves alters the behavior of cancer cells and their surrounding environment, opening a new line of inquiry into the impact of the nervous system on one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Understanding these connections is crucial, as pancreatic cancer remains a significant public health challenge with limited treatment options.
The Nervous System: A New Player in Pancreatic Cancer
For decades, research has focused on the cancer cells themselves, blood vessels, and fibroblasts surrounding tumors. Nerves were often overlooked. Now, a team led by Dr. Ariana Sattler has revealed that sympathetic nerves infiltrate pancreatic tumors and establish communication with both malignant cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts.
“We were interested in gaining new insights into how sympathetic nerves interact with all of the other cells within that pancreatic cancer ecosystem, and how these interactions influence pancreatic cancer,” explained Sattler, who completed the work as a doctoral candidate in the OHSU Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences.
These nerves, responsible for the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones, don’t simply pass near the tumor; they penetrate it and alter its behavior. The study indicates that communication between the nerves and tumor cells can modify the aggressiveness of the cancer and enhance its growth.
Unexpected Results from Animal Study
To investigate the role of nerves in cancer development, researchers at OHSU developed a method to selectively remove sympathetic nerves from the pancreas in mice and assess the impact on tumor size. The results were striking: tumors shrank, but only in female mice. “The sex-specific tumor phenotype that we observed was extremely unexpected,” said Dr. Ece Eksi, leader of the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
The difference between male and female mice suggests a role for sex hormones in the relationship between nerves and cancer. Eksi’s team is now investigating how these hormones might modify the tumor microenvironment and the response to nerve stimulation loss.
The OHSU research extended beyond the laboratory. Scientists analyzed patient databases and found that the expression of genes associated with sympathetic nerves correlated with reduced survival rates in individuals with pancreatic cancer. This finding suggests the nervous system doesn’t just accompany the tumor, but may be a key determinant in its progression.
“This is an emerging field known as cancer neuroscience,” Sattler explained. The traditional view of tumors growing in isolation is changing, as it’s now understood they interact with bodily systems like the nervous system, which can either support or inhibit their growth.
New Treatment Pathways: Could Blocking Stress Halt Cancer?
The discovery raises questions about the possibility of treating pancreatic cancer by blocking the stress signal.
Some researchers are already exploring the leverage of drugs like beta-blockers, commonly used for heart conditions, to limit nerve signals and unhurried the progression of certain tumors. Medical devices capable of stimulating or inhibiting major nerves, currently used for other conditions, could too potentially be applied to oncology.
“The connection between the nervous system and cancer may open up unprecedented avenues for prevention and treatment,” Sattler stated. Whereas the results are preliminary, the OHSU team will continue to investigate the mechanisms linking stress and cancer, and the role of biological differences between men and women.
The study received support from the National Cancer Institute of the United States and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, among other institutions, according to OHSU. Animal experiments were approved by the university’s institutional ethics and animal welfare committee, which oversees the safety of procedures.
As Ece Eksi put it: “The nervous system acts as a monitoring and feedback network throughout the body.” In the case of the pancreas, a gland particularly sensitive to nerve and hormonal signals, this connection could be key to understanding why pancreatic cancer is so aggressive and difficult to treat. The finding prompts a reevaluation of therapeutic approaches and suggests that stress could be a silent enemy in the fight against cancer.
