Neuropeptide Y promotes cancer through multiple hallmarks and holds promise for diagnostics and targeted therapy | Research

The takeaway

NPY and its receptors (Y1R, Y2R, Y5R) regulate proliferation, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, and metastasis across multiple cancer types, with potential applications in cancer diagnostics, imaging, and treatment.

Multiple cancer hallmarks
NPY drives proliferation, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis across cancer types through three receptor subtypes

What the researchers found

NPY mediates cancer hallmarks through Y1R/Y2R/Y5R: sustained proliferation, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Potential applications: prognostic/predictive biomarker, receptor-based imaging, and targeted therapy across multiple cancer types.

Why it matters

NPY is one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the body, and its cancer-promoting activities are increasingly recognized. Understanding its role could lead to new diagnostic tools and therapies across multiple cancer types.

How the study worked

Comprehensive narrative review of NPY biology in cancer, covering cellular functions, receptor signaling, tumor-type-specific roles, and clinical applications.

What this study cannot tell us

Narrative review. Evidence varies by cancer type—some have robust data while others have limited studies. Clinical applications are mostly preclinical. NPY system complexity makes therapeutic targeting challenging.

How to read the evidence

Comprehensive narrative review. Good overview but evidence depth varies by cancer type.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

The NPY system joins CGRP and other neuropeptides as emerging cancer biology players. The tumor-nerve interface is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic frontier, with neuropeptide receptors offering targetable entry points for precision oncology.

Questions still open

Which cancer types are most dependent on NPY signaling?
Can NPY receptor imaging replace current tumor markers?
Would NPY receptor antagonists be effective anti-cancer agents?

Common questions

Does neuropeptide Y cause cancer?

NPY does not directly cause cancer, but it can promote cancer growth once tumors develop. Through its receptors (Y1, Y2, Y5), NPY stimulates cell proliferation, prevents cancer cell death, promotes blood vessel growth into tumors, and facilitates metastasis. Stress-related NPY release may worsen cancer outcomes.

Could NPY be used in cancer diagnosis or treatment?

Potentially. NPY receptors expressed on tumor cells could be targeted for imaging (using labeled NPY analogs to visualize tumors) or therapy (using receptor antagonists to block cancer-promoting signals). NPY levels in blood could also serve as biomarkers for cancer prognosis. These applications are in early development.

Read the original research

Neuropeptide Y in cancer-biological functions and potential clinical implications.

Cancer metastasis reviews, 44(1), 21

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sigorski, Dawid; Sejda, Aleksandra; Abualsaud, Nouran; Krawczyk, Ewa; Izycka-Swieszewska, Ewa; Kitlinska, Joanna. (2025). Neuropeptide Y in cancer-biological functions and potential clinical implications.. Cancer metastasis reviews, 44(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10555-024-10237-z