Recent research from the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital has revealed significant insights into how glioma cells—tumors that originate in the brain—interact with neurons. This study, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that glioma cells do not operate in isolation; instead, they integrate into the brain’s neural networks, influencing and being influenced by surrounding neurons. Understanding this relationship may lead to new treatment strategies for brain tumors that currently lack effective therapies.
Lucy Maree Palmer, the senior author of the study, explained the motivation behind the research, stating that it emerged from a collaboration between neurosurgeons and neuroscientists. The inquiry began when Dr. Heidi McAlpine, a trainee neurosurgeon, pursued her Ph.D. in Palmer’s laboratory. Her research aimed to explore why treatments for brain cancer have not significantly improved survival rates, unlike other cancer types.
Investigating the Neuronal Influence on Gliomas
The core objective of this research was to elucidate the poorly understood interaction between human brain cells and gliomas. The team collected and analyzed brain tissue from patients diagnosed with both low-grade and high-grade gliomas. Palmer noted, “We recorded the electrical activity directly from both brain cells and cancer cells embedded in the brain to assess how different brain cancer grades influence cellular activity and brain processes.”
The findings demonstrated that neurons in the vicinity of high-grade gliomas exhibited heightened excitability, which was linked to increased tumor growth. Specifically, the electrical activity exchanged between nearby neurons and aggressive glioma cells facilitated the proliferation of the tumors. Palmer elaborated, “We observed that brain cells within the high-grade cancers are more excitable, which we then showed leads to cancer growth.”
By highlighting the relationship between gliomas and neuronal activity, this research provides a foundation for future studies aimed at validating these observations.
Pathways to New Therapies
The implications of this study are profound, suggesting that neuronal activity plays a crucial role in the development of brain cancers. Future research could focus on disrupting the communication pathways between neurons and glioma cells, which may slow tumor growth. Palmer emphasized the importance of this work, stating, “This study illustrates the role that the brain plays in brain cancer growth, with increased neural activity leading to greater cancer growth.”
The potential for new neuroscience-based drug targets could emerge from these findings, offering hope in the ongoing fight against brain tumors. Palmer and her team plan to delve deeper into the cellular mechanisms that drive cancer growth and proliferation.
The research represents a critical step towards understanding the complexities of brain tumors, with the goal of developing effective treatments that could significantly improve patient outcomes. The collaboration between the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in tackling challenging health issues.
The full details of the study are available in the article titled “Increased neural excitability and glioma synaptic activity drives glioma proliferation in human cortex,” published in March 2025.
This research exemplifies the ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between neuroscience and oncology, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches to combat cancers that have long remained resistant to standard treatments.
