Nerve Growth Factor in Breast Cancer Cells Promotes Axonal Growth and Expression of Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide in a Rat Model of Spinal Metastasis.

Background/aim: Bone metastasis commonly causes severe pain. Nerve growth factor (NGF) contributes to pain, and promotes the production of pain-associated neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), from sensory nerve endings. We hypothesized that breast cancer cells have NGF levels that promote axonal growth from dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) neurons, and increase their CGRP production associated with pain from spinal metastases.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Produced by Osteoclasts Might Induce Intractable Pain in a Rat Spinal Metastasis Model of Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Causes of pain due to spinal metastases have been insufficiently investigated. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were the focus of this study. Both are known as proinflammatory cytokines associated with the pathophysiology of pain syndromes .