Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41689795›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

CGRP signaling links tumor-associated pain to immune evasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Lisa A McIlvried, Andre A Martel Matos, Rachel S Krane, Kathryn T Eskew, Tian LeGrande, Megan A Atherton, Morgan A Ottley, Marci L Nilsen, Diana Bell, Maryam Ahmadi and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Lisa A McIlvriedDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Andre A Martel MatosDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Rachel S KraneDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kathryn T EskewDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Tian LeGrandeUPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Megan A AthertonDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Morgan A OttleyDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Marci L NilsenDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Diana BellUPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Maryam AhmadiDepartment of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Amin Reza NikpoorDepartment of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Sebastien TalbotDepartment of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
Nicole N ScheffDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: nns18@pitt.edu.

Funding

VECTOR CORE FACILITYP30CA047904 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Dan Paul Zandberg · 1988 to 2026
$158.0M
Sympathetic modulation of head and neck cancer painR01DE030892 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI SCHEFF, NICOLE N · 2021 to 2025
$2.0M
Functional consequences of sensory neuronal invasion in oral cancer pain and carcinogenesisR00DE028019 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI SCHEFF, NICOLE N · 2020 to 2022
$747k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA047904NIDCR NIH HHS R00 DE028019NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE030892
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Peripheral sensory nerves are thought to play a role in solid tumor growth, particularly in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); however, the link between pain and immunosuppression remains unresolved. Here, we find an inverse relationship between OSCC-associated pain by way of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-expressing nerves and tumor-associated immunity in patients with OSCC. Bulk RNA sequencing of tumor-innervating sensory neurons from syngeneic mouse models of OSCC shows differential regulation of genes associated with excitability, neurotransmission, and axonal sprouting. Using a gain-of-function approach by persistently stimulating peptidergic afferents, we show that sensory neurons support the growth of oral tongue tumors and limit the activation of an effective anti-tumor immune response via efferent CGRP release. Loss-of-function approaches, such as local ablation of nociceptive nerves or systemic CGRP receptor antagonism, slow tumor growth and improve anti-tumor immunity. Targeting CGRP may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy in OSCC to reduce pain and improve therapeutic response.

Indexed as

Calcitonin Gene-Related PeptideCancer PainCarcinoma, Squamous CellImmune EvasionMouth NeoplasmsSignal TransductionAnimalsHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLReceptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related PeptideSensory Receptor CellsCalcitonin Gene-Related PeptideReceptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptideanti-tumor immunitycalcitonin gene-related peptideCP: cancerCP: neurosciencehumanizationimmunosuppressionnervesnociceptionoral cancerpainprotective antibodyrational design of antibodySFTSV

Identifiers

PMID41689795
PMCPMC13007003

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.