The role of acetylcholine and its receptors in tumor immune regulation: mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets

IF 33.9 1区医学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Molecular Cancer Pub Date : 2025-09-30 DOI:10.1186/s12943-025-02441-4

Chunyu Zhang, Xiangdong Guo, Yanan Wang, Shuo Zhang, Zhihua Wang

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Acetylcholine (ACh) is an essential neurotransmitter that has recently gained attention for its multifunctional role in tumor immune regulation. By binding neuronal loss to nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, ACh directly promotes tumor cell proliferation and migration while modulating immune cell functions, thereby influencing the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, ACh plays a crucial role in tumor angiogenesis and stromal remodeling. Recent studies suggest that combining ACh modulators with immune checkpoint inhibitors and other therapies may improve treatment efficacy and overcome resistance. This review highlights current research developments regarding ACh in tumor immune regulation, explores its underlying mechanisms and clinical potential, and provides a theoretical basis for developing personalized therapeutic strategies.

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乙酰胆碱及其受体在肿瘤免疫调节中的作用：机制和潜在的治疗靶点

乙酰胆碱（Acetylcholine, ACh）是一种重要的神经递质，近年来因其在肿瘤免疫调节中的多功能作用而受到关注。ACh通过将神经元丢失与烟碱和毒蕈碱受体结合，直接促进肿瘤细胞的增殖和迁移，同时调节免疫细胞功能，从而影响肿瘤微环境。此外，乙酰胆碱在肿瘤血管生成和基质重塑中起重要作用。最近的研究表明，乙酰胆碱调节剂与免疫检查点抑制剂和其他疗法联合使用可以提高治疗效果并克服耐药性。本文综述了乙酰胆碱在肿瘤免疫调节中的研究进展，探讨了其潜在机制和临床潜力，为制定个性化治疗策略提供了理论依据。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Molecular Cancer 医学-生化与分子生物学

CiteScore

54.90

自引率

2.70%

发文量

224

审稿时长

2 months

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