Migraine Drugs Could Provide New Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancers

Australian researchers found that a neuropeptide fueled tumor growth in vitro, but deletion of its receptor halted the process. 

Originally published by Rebecca Roberts, PhD, on Oct 24, 2025, in The Nutshell section of The Scientist


Existing drugs can be repurposed for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, blocking the interaction between a neuropeptide and its receptor. Image credit:©iStock, sefa ozel

Often referred to as the ‘second brain,’ the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is full of nerves that help it to function by secreting neuropeptides. A growing body of evidence suggests that GI tumors can hijack these networks of nerves, using them to survive, grow, and metastasize.1–3 Now, researchers from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) have reported how a specific neuropeptide called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and its receptor, contribute to poor clinical outcomes in GI cancer patients. Published on 25th October 2025 in BMJ Oncology, the study demonstrates that this pathway is a potent driver of tumor growth and can be therapeutically targeted.4

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