Aggressive breast cancer has long been a challenging foe for medical professionals, with its unpredictable nature and lack of effective treatments making it a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

However, a groundbreaking new study from the University of Oklahoma has shed light on the mysterious process by which aggressive breast cancer recruits the body’s own immune cells to fuel its growth and spread.

The research, published in Cell Death & Differentiation, reveals that an aggressive type of breast cancer can manipulate the immune system to draw nerves into tumors, creating conditions that may help the cancer thrive.

Immune Cells at the Heart of the Mystery

The study’s authors discovered that tumors attract macrophages, a type of immune cell that normally helps the body fight infections and repair damaged tissue.

After entering the tumor, these macrophages release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that encourages nearby nerves to grow toward and into the cancer.

BDNF is most widely known for supporting the growth and survival of nerve cells in the brain. In breast cancer, however, the researchers found that tumors can take advantage of this same biological signal.

By prompting nerve growth inside the tumor, the process may contribute to cancer progression and resistance to treatment.