Brain-to-body stress signals that help cancer spread
Defining brain-body feedback loops mediating stress-induced metastasis
This work explores how stress signals from the brain might cause breast and pancreatic cancers to spread and whether blocking those signals could help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11190927 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use mouse models of breast and pancreatic cancer and apply chronic stress protocols that mimic ongoing psychological stress. They measure stress hormones (like glucocorticoids and norepinephrine), track immune changes such as neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and follow tumor spread. The team manipulates specific brain cells that control the stress response and tests drugs or interventions that block stress pathways to see if metastasis is reduced. Results aim to identify concrete targets or therapies that could lower the risk of cancer spread linked to chronic stress.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast or pancreatic cancer—especially those at higher risk of metastasis or concerned about stress-related progression—might be candidates for future trials built on this work.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers not driven by the stress-related pathways studied here, or those needing immediate changes to their current cancer therapy, may not see direct short-term benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to treatments or stress-related therapies that reduce the risk of cancer spreading in people with breast or pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies and human epidemiology link chronic stress to worse cancer outcomes and suggest stress hormones can promote metastasis, but the detailed brain-to-immune mechanisms and interventions tested here are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Egeblad, Mikala — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Egeblad, Mikala
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.