PhD defence Meike Suuwtje Thijssen

Keywords: Cancer Neuroscience, Colorectal Cancer, Enteric Nervous System, Tumor Immune Microenvironment 

"Neural Regulation of Colorectal Cancer: Implications for Immunomodulation"

This thesis explores how nerve cells in the gut influence the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, and understanding how tumor cells interact with their surrounding cells is essential for improving diagnosis and treatment. One of the most recently identified members of the CRC environment are nerves and supporting glial cells.

This research examined where these neural cells are located within tumors, how they communicate with the tumor environment and cancer cells, and whether their presence affects patient outcomes. Using cell models, animal studies, and analyses of human tumor samples, this thesis reveals that specific subtypes of nerves and glial cells can shape the immune environment, especially specific types of B cells, and can thereby influence clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer. 

These findings highlight that neural–immune communication is an important, yet underappreciated, driver of CRC biology, opens new avenues for understanding disease mechanisms and points to neural and glial subtypes as promising new therapeutic targets. 

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