Characterization of Enteric Innervation in Colorectal Cancer

Date Created:

2025-08-09

Course Title:

Professor:

Yisi Lu and Ruaidhri Jackson

About Paper:

Colorectal tumors are not just masses of cancer cells; they sit inside a living neighborhood of immune cells, nerves, and support tissues. This project maps the nerve side of that neighborhood. Using a mouse model of colitis-associated colorectal cancer, the team quantified nerve density, activation, and neuronal subtypes in tumors and traced whether intrinsic enteric neurons reach the tumor microenvironment. By making the neural landscape visible, the work gives future neuro-immune cancer studies a map for asking how nerves may shape tumor growth and immune response. Source: 2025 Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village Abstract Book

Topics:

colorectal cancer, enteric neurons, tumor microenvironment, neuroimmunology

Co-authors:

@yisilu93 , @ruaidhrijackson94