InteroCANCEption: How nerves talk to cancer and the immune system
Official title: Cancer Grand Challenges - InteroCANCEption - Crosstalk between cancer and the nervous system via interoception
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11506416 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A cancer-focused project from Harvard Medical School will study how the brain’s internal sensing system talks to tumors and the immune system, with the goal of uncovering new ways to influence cancer growth and fight the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $741,343 |
| NIH project number | 1OT2CA320060-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11506416 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with pancreatic, lung, or colorectal cancer might benefit from future therapies arising from this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
This project is in early preclinical stages and does not involve direct patient participation at this time.
What this research studies
This NIH grant explores whether interoception—the brain’s internal sense of the body's state—also monitors cancer. Using animal models of pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers, researchers will map neural pathways that interact with tumors and the immune response. The study combines neuroscience, genetics, immunology, and cancer biology to identify which nerve signals cancer affects and how these signals might be manipulated to influence tumor growth or immunity. The work aims to reveal a new axis of cancer biology that could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new ways to influence cancer progression and improve immune responses against tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Emerging research suggests neural–cancer interactions exist, with ongoing work indicating the brain–tumor communication can affect disease behavior.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liberles, Stephen Daniel — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Liberles, Stephen Daniel
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.