Liu YZ, Liu WX, Deng WH. Advances in the study of the relationship between neurotransmitters and gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(44): 113793 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113793]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Wen-Hong Deng, PhD, Chief Physician, Full Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Wuhan University of Renmin Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Digestive System Disease, General Surgery Laboratory, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430000, Hubei Province, China. wenhongdeng@whu.edu.cn
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Oncology
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Review
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 28, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 1, 2025
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World Journal of Gastroenterology
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1007-9327
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Liu YZ, Liu WX, Deng WH. Advances in the study of the relationship between neurotransmitters and gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(44): 113793 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113793]
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2025; 31(44): 113793 Published online Nov 28, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113793
Advances in the study of the relationship between neurotransmitters and gastric cancer
You-Zhao Liu, Wen-Xuan Liu, Wen-Hong Deng
You-Zhao Liu, Wen-Xuan Liu, Wen-Hong Deng, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Wuhan University of Renmin Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Digestive System Disease, General Surgery Laboratory, Wuhan 430000, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Liu YZ and Liu WX performed the investigation and wrote the original draft; Liu WX was also responsible for visualization and validation; Deng WH contributed to resources, project administration, supervision, and reviewed and edited the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82172855.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wen-Hong Deng, PhD, Chief Physician, Full Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Wuhan University of Renmin Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Digestive System Disease, General Surgery Laboratory, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430000, Hubei Province, China. wenhongdeng@whu.edu.cn
Received: September 3, 2025 Revised: September 20, 2025 Accepted: October 22, 2025 Published online: November 28, 2025 Processing time: 86 Days and 0.1 Hours
Abstract
Emerging evidence underscores the critical, yet frequently underrecognized, role of the nervous system in the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC), primarily mediated through complex neuro-tumoral interactions and modulation of immune responses. GC cells actively invade neural structures, inducing aberrant nerve growth, while, in parallel, neural components infiltrate the tumor microenvironment, collectively promoting tumor proliferation, dissemination, and resistance to therapy. These bidirectional processes are regulated by diverse neurotransmitter systems—including monoaminergic, cholinergic, amino acid-based, peptidergic, and purinergic pathways—which are aberrantly produced by both neurons and malignant cells. Beyond their canonical function in neural signaling, these neuromediators exert diverse effects on tumor biology, coordinating multiple facets of GC progression, including invasion, metastasis, and cellular expansion. This review synthesizes current advances and outlines future directions in elucidating the mechanistic contributions of neurotransmitters to GC pathophysiology.
Core Tip: The nervous system plays a critical but underrecognized role in gastric cancer (GC) progression through bidirectional neuro-tumoral interactions. Neurotransmitters—including norepinephrine, acetylcholine, glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid, adenosine, and neuropeptide Y—produced by both neurons and malignant cells, actively reprogram the tumor microenvironment. These mediators regulate proliferation, invasion, metastasis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance in GC. This review highlights advances in understanding neurotransmitter-driven mechanisms and introduces the concept of “neuro-gastric oncology”, providing a rationale for novel therapeutic strategies targeting neuro-tumoral signaling pathways.
