Abstract:
During development, as tissues expand and grow, they require circulatory, lymphatic, and
nervous system expansion for proper function and support. Similarly, as tumors arise and develop,
they also require the expansion of these systems to support them. While the contribution of blood
and lymphatic systems to the development and progression of cancer is well known and is targeted
with anticancer drugs, the contribution of the nervous system is less well studied and understood.
Recent studies have shown that the interaction between neurons and a tumor are bilateral and
promote metastasis on one hand, and the formation of new nerve structures (neoneurogenesis) on
the other. Substances such as neurotransmitters and neurotrophins being the main actors in such
interplay, it seems reasonable to expect that alternative splicing and the different populations of
protein isoforms can affect tumor-derived neurogenesis. Here, we report the different, documented
ways in which neurons contribute to the development and progression of cancer and investigate
what is currently known regarding cancer-neuronal interaction in several specific cancer types.
Furthermore, we discuss the incidence of alternative splicing that have been identified as playing a
role in tumor-induced neoneurogenesis, cancer development and progression. Several examples of
changes in alternative splicing that give rise to different isoforms in nerve tissue that support cancer
progression, growth and development have also been investigated. Finally, we discuss the potential
of our knowledge in alternative splicing to improve tumor diagnosis and treatment.
