Melanoma, although only a small part of skin cancer, causes most skin cancer deaths. The number of melanoma cases has increased dramatically in recent years, and early detection has become increasingly important. Although current methods rely on visual examination and advanced imaging techniques, there is an increasing interest in understanding the role of the nervous system in cancer development. Surprisingly, tumors have their own neural networks that may be key to unlocking new ways to predict dangerous ways of melanoma.
Understanding the complex behavior of tumors has long been a focus of cancer researchers. The latest discovery from Case Western Reserve University reveals a breakthrough in distinguishing melanoma through the metastatic potential of neural recordings. The study, led by Dr. Grant McCallum and Professor Dominique Durand, along with Jay Shiralkar and Tiana Anthony, discovered tumors, the study Relevance of internal nerve activity and its metastatic behavior. Their study, published on PLOS One, marks an important step towards early detection and treatment of melanoma.
The researchers conducted a series of experiments on the mice to observe neural patterns in metastatic and non-neutralized melanoma. Professor Durand explained the motivation for the study: “Our goal is to determine whether the bioelectric behavior of a tumor can be used as an early indicator of its metastatic potential.”
To explore differences in neural activity among various melanomas, the research team combined advanced neural recording techniques and bioluminescence imaging. They implanted electrodes into the tumors of mice to monitor nerve spikes to see electrical activity within the tumor in real time. This allows the team to capture detailed neural patterns and correlate them with tumor behavior. Daily recordings were conducted to ensure that the data reflected ongoing changes in the tumor environment.
The team found that melanomas with high metastasis showed significantly higher neurological activity compared to melanomas with low metastasis. This activity is particularly evident in the peaks observed in neural recordings. Metastatic tumors show discontinuous trains with high neural activity, while non-neutral tumors show minimal nerve spikes. In simpler terms, the nerves inside more aggressive tumors are more “active”. The existence of the sympathetic nerve plays a crucial role in this activity. “Sympathetic resection or chemical removal of the sympathetic nerve eliminates peak nerve activity in both sexes,” Dr. McCallum noted. “Surprisingly, our study shows that the brain not only knows the existence of tumors, but also establishes The complex neural activity we observed in melanoma suggests that the brain may influence tumor behavior and progression in complex interactions,” explains Professor Dominique Durand.
In addition to neural recordings, the researchers also used bioluminescence imaging to track tumor growth and metastasis. By injecting bioluminescent markers, they were able to visualize the expansion of the tumor and spread to other parts of the body, especially the cranial area, which is a common site for melanoma metastasis. This method provides a comprehensive view of how tumors develop and spread over time. The team observed that the peak of neural activity was closely consistent with the onset of increased metastatic load, highlighting the potential of neural recording as a prediction tool.
In addition, the study found that the nerve density of low metastatic tumors was significantly reduced compared to highly metastatic tumors. This difference in nerve density further consolidates the link between nerve activity and tumor aggressiveness.
The researchers believe that the study opens new avenues for early diagnosis and targeted therapy in melanoma treatment. “Our findings suggest that monitoring neural activity in tumors can provide a noninvasive way to predict its metastatic potential,” Professor Durand said. “This approach may lead to earlier interventions that may improve survival in melanoma patients.” Rate.”
In conclusion, Dr. McCallum, Professor Durand and colleagues provide compelling evidence that neural records can distinguish melanoma based on their metastatic potential. This breakthrough not only enhances our understanding of oncology biology, but also paves the way for innovative diagnostic tools in cancer treatment.
Journal Reference
Shiralkar, J., Anthony, T., McCallum, GA, and DM (2024). Neural recordings can distinguish spontaneously metastasized melanoma from melanoma with low metastatic potential. PLOS ONE, 19(2), E0297281. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297281
About the Author
Dominique M. Durand is El Linsedth Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience and Director of the Center for Neuroengineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He received an engineering degree from Ecole Nation Superieure D’Electronique from Hydrolique, Hydrolique, Informatique et Automatique De Toulouse. 1973. In 1974, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Reserve University in Ohio, Cleveland. Toronto, Canada Foundation for Addiction Research and received a Ph.D. in 1982. School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto’s School of Biomedical Engineering. He received the NSF Young Investigator Presidential Award, as well as the highest awards from the Diekhoff and Wittke Awards for graduate and undergraduate teaching at Case Western Reserve University and the Mortar Committee. He is an IEEE Fellow, a researcher at the American Institute of Medical and Biomedical Engineering, and a researcher at the Institute of Physics. He serves on the editorial boards of many peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Neuroengineering and has been the chief editor for 18 years. His research interests are research in neuroengineering, including computational neuroscience, neurophysiology and control of epilepsy, nonlinear dynamics of the nervous system, neural prosthesis, and applied magnetic and electric fields to interact with neural tissues. He received research funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Private Foundation. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and consulted many biotech companies and foundations.
Grant A. McCallum Received a PhD from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in 2011. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in CWRU. Prior to graduate studies, he worked as a senior ASIC design engineer at Instruments and Nvidia Corporation in Texas, creating broadband access integrated circuits and graphics processors for a total of nine years. His general research interests include the development of peripheral neural interfaces, low-noise neural recording systems, and implantable biostart devices.
Dr. Jay R Shiralkar Recently received a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and received prestigious and outstanding guidance Professor Dominic Durand. His research focuses on developing neural interfaces for solid tumors, focusing on revealing the role of the autonomic nervous system in tumor physiology. In his PhD study, Jay published a paper in influential journals highlighting his contribution to the fields of neuroengineering and cancer biology and its application in breast and melanoma tumors.
Jay’s work has won awards, including the Swanger Scholarship Award from the School of Case Engineering. He has also made his discoveries at several international conferences and has attracted attention for new ways to solve complex biomedical problems.
In addition to his research, Jay demonstrated a strong commitment to mentoring and teaching, was a TA in several undergraduate courses and coached junior researchers in the lab. His dedication to education and innovation in biomedical engineering has made him a promising emerging leader in the field.
In his spare time, Jay enjoys volunteering for community health programs and explores the latest advancements in medical technology. Dr. Jay R Shiralkar is passionate about improving patient outcomes and is ready to make a significant contribution to the biomedical engineering and oncology communities.
