Scientists confirm for the first time that malignant brain cancer is closely related to the brain's neural connections. Gliomas "communicate" with healthy neurons, forming synapses that hijack electrical signals from healthy neurons to promote their own growth.
Cutting off the connection with the nervous system prevents the cancer from spreading. Nerves affect different cancers differently, and it is important to target different cancer types when developing anti-cancer programs, says Liu Xia, a reporter for "Nature" magazine.