Chronic Environmental or Genetic Elevation of Galanin in Noradrenergic Neurons Confers Stress Resilience in Mice

Greater physical fitness ( VO 2 max $$ {\mathrm{VO}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ ) in healthy older adults associated with increased integrity of the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system

AIM

Physical activity (PA) is a key component for brain health and Reserve, and it is among the main dementia protective factors. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning Reserve are not fully understood. In this regard, a noradrenergic (NA) theory of cognitive reserve (Robertson, 2013) has proposed that the upregulation of NA system might be a key factor for building reserve and resilience to neurodegeneration because of the neuroprotective role of NA across the brain. PA elicits an enhanced catecholamine response, in particular for NA. By increasing physical commitment, a greater amount of NA is synthetised in response to higher oxygen demand. More physically trained individuals show greater capabilities to carry oxygen resulting in greaterVo 2 max $$ {\mathrm{Vo}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ - a measure of oxygen uptake and physical fitness (PF).

METHODS

We hypothesized that greaterVo 2 max $$ {\mathrm{Vo}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ would be related to greater Locus Coeruleus (LC) MRI signal intensity. In a sample of 41 healthy subjects, we performed Voxel-Based Morphometry analyses, then repeated for the other neuromodulators as a control procedure (Serotonin, Dopamine and Acetylcholine).

RESULTS

As hypothesized, greaterVo 2 max $$ {\mathrm{Vo}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ related to greater LC signal intensity, and weaker associations emerged for the other neuromodulators.

CONCLUSION

This newly established link betweenVo 2 max $$ {\mathrm{Vo}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ and LC-NA system offers further understanding of the neurobiology underpinning Reserve in relationship to PA. While this study supports Robertson's theory proposing the upregulation of the NA system as a possible key factor building Reserve, it also provides ground for increasing LC-NA system resilience to neurodegeneration viaVo 2 max $$ {\mathrm{Vo}}_{2_{\mathrm{max}}} $$ enhancement.

The Effects of Locus Coeruleus Optogenetic Stimulation on Global Spatiotemporal Patterns in Rats

Whole-brain intrinsic activity as detected by resting-state fMRI can be summarized by three primary spatiotemporal patterns. These patterns have been shown to change with different brain states, especially arousal. The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a key node in arousal circuits and has extensive projections throughout the brain, giving it neuromodulatory influence over the coordinated activity of structurally separated regions. In this study, we used optogenetic-fMRI in rats to investigate the impact of LC stimulation on the global signal and three primary spatiotemporal patterns. We report small, spatially specific changes in global signal distribution as a result of tonic LC stimulation, as well as regional changes in spatiotemporal patterns of activity at 5 Hz tonic and 15 Hz phasic stimulation. We also found that LC stimulation had little to no effect on the spatiotemporal patterns detected by complex principal component analysis. These results show that the effects of LC activity on the BOLD signal in rats may be small and regionally concentrated, as opposed to widespread and globally acting.

Chronic stress-induced immune dysregulation in breast cancer: Implications of psychosocial factors

Chronic stress refers to continuous emotional changes and psychological pressure that individuals experience when they are unable to adjust and stabilize the internal environment over an extended period. It can increase the pressure on endocrine mediators and cytokines in the circulation, as well as tissues throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenaline (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS); thus, evolving the internal environment of the tumor. This review assesses several key issues, involving psychosocial factors, and integrates clinical, cellular, and molecular studies-as well as the latest research progress-to provide a mechanistic understanding regarding breast oncopsychology. We propose that chronic stress contributes to large individual diferences in the prognosis of breast cancer survivors because they change the basic physiological processes of the endocrine and immune systems, which in turn regulate tumor growth. The study of psychological and physiological reactions of breast cancer patients suggests a new idea for psychological intervention and clinical treatment for breast cancer patients.

From pupil to the brain: New insights for studying cortical plasticity through pupillometry

Pupil size variations have been associated with changes in brain activity patterns related with specific cognitive factors, such as arousal, attention, and mental effort. The locus coeruleus (LC), a key hub in the noradrenergic system of the brain, is considered to be a key regulator of cognitive control on pupil size, with changes in pupil diameter corresponding to the release of norepinephrine (NE). Advances in eye-tracking technology and open-source software have facilitated accurate pupil size measurement in various experimental settings, leading to increased interest in using pupillometry to track the nervous system activation state and as a potential biomarker for brain disorders. This review explores pupillometry as a non-invasive and fully translational tool for studying cortical plasticity starting from recent literature suggesting that pupillometry could be a promising technique for estimating the degree of residual plasticity in human subjects. Given that NE is known to be a critical mediator of cortical plasticity and arousal, the review includes data revealing the importance of the LC-NE system in modulating brain plasticity and pupil size. Finally, we will review data suggesting that pupillometry could provide a quantitative and complementary measure of cortical plasticity also in pre-clinical studies.

Tyrosinase-induced neuromelanin accumulation triggers rapid dysregulation and degeneration of the mouse locus coeruleus

Motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused by degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra (SN), while early non-motor symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbances are likely mediated by dysfunction of locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine (NE) neurons. The LC develops α-synuclein pathology prior to SN DA neurons in PD, and later undergoes degeneration, but the mechanisms responsible for its vulnerability are unknown. The SN and LC are the only structures in the brain that produces appreciable amounts of neuromelanin (NM), a dark cytoplasmic pigment. It has been proposed that NM initially plays a protective role by sequestering toxic catecholamine metabolites and heavy metals, but may become harmful during aging and PD as they overwhelm cellular machinery and are released during neurodegeneration. Rodents do not naturally produce NM, limiting the study of causal relationships between NM and PD-associated LC pathology. Adapting a viral-mediated approach for expression of human tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for peripheral melanin production, we successfully promoted pigmentation in mouse LC neurons that recapitulates key features of endogenous NM found in primates, including eumelanin and pheomelanin, lipid droplets, and a double-membrane encasement. Pigment expression results in mild neurodegeneration, reduced NE levels, transcriptional changes, and novelty-induced anxiety phenotypes as early as 1-week post-injection. By 6-weeks, NM accumulation is associated with severe LC neurodegeneration and a robust neuroinflammatory response. These phenotypes are reminiscent of LC dysfunction in PD, validating this model for studying the consequences of pigment accumulation in the LC as it relates to neurodegenerative disease.

Organization of the galaninergic neuronal system in the brain of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

Galanin (GAL) is a 29 amino acid peptide present in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as peripheral tissues in vertebrates. However, the brain distribution pattern of GAL is understudied in reptiles. The aim of this study was to determine the organization of galaninergic neuronal system in the brain of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus, a tropical and sub-tropical lizard, using rabbit anti-galanin antibody. In the telencephalon, GAL-ir perikarya and fibres were found in the lateral septal nucleus, but only GAL-ir fibres were observed in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, anterior commissure, nucleus centralis amygdalae, dorsal and medial septal nuclei, nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca and in the optic chiasma. In the preoptic region, a cluster of GAL-ir cells and fibres was observed in the periventricular preoptic area and lateral preoptic area. GAL-ir perikarya and fibres were observed in hypothalamic areas such as the supraoptic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, infundibular recess nucleus and in the median eminence, whereas GAL-ir fibres were present in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland. In the thalamus, GAL-ir fibres were observed in the dorsomedial, dorsolateral, and medial thalamic nuclei. GAL-ir fibres were also detected in mesencephalic areas such as the optic tectum, torus semicircularis, ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, brain stem as well as the spinal cord. The organization of GAL-ir cells and fibres throughout the gecko brain suggests several neuroendocrine, neuromodulatory and behavioural functions for GAL in lizards. The study provides new insights into the evolutionarily conserved nature of GAL peptide in squamate reptiles and forms a valuable basis for future comparative studies.

Noradrenergic modulation of stress resilience

Resilience represents an active adaption process in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. Investigations of neurobiological mechanisms of resilience opens an innovative direction for preclinical research and drug development for various stress-related disorders. The locus coeruleus norepinephrine system has been implicated in mediating stress susceptibility versus resilience. It has attracted increasing attention over the past decades with the revolution of modern neuroscience technologies. In this review article, we first briefly go over resilience-related concepts and introduce rodent paradigms for segregation of susceptibility and resilience, then highlight recent literature that identifies the neuronal and molecular substrates of active resilience in the locus coeruleus, and discuss possible future directions for resilience investigations.

Running from Stress: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Stress Resilience

Chronic stress, even stress of a moderate intensity related to daily life, is widely acknowledged to be a predisposing or precipitating factor in neuropsychiatric diseases. There is a clear relationship between disturbances induced by stressful stimuli, especially long-lasting stimuli, and cognitive deficits in rodent models of affective disorders. Regular physical activity has a positive effect on the central nervous system (CNS) functions, contributes to an improvement in mood and of cognitive abilities (including memory and learning), and is correlated with an increase in the expression of the neurotrophic factors and markers of synaptic plasticity as well as a reduction in the inflammatory factors. Studies published so far show that the energy challenge caused by physical exercise can affect the CNS by improving cellular bioenergetics, stimulating the processes responsible for the removal of damaged organelles and molecules, and attenuating inflammation processes. Regular physical activity brings another important benefit: increased stress robustness. The evidence from animal studies is that a sedentary lifestyle is associated with stress vulnerability, whereas a physically active lifestyle is associated with stress resilience. Here, we have performed a comprehensive PubMed Search Strategy for accomplishing an exhaustive literature review. In this review, we discuss the findings from experimental studies on the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the impact of exercise on brain resilience. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective potential of preconditioning exercise and of the role of exercise in stress resilience, among other things, may open further options for prevention and therapy in the treatment of CNS diseases.

Cortical network formation based on subthalamic beta bursts in Parkinson's disease

Recent evidence suggests that beta bursts in subthalamic nucleus (STN) play an important role in Parkinsonian pathophysiology. We studied the spatio-temporal relationship between STN beta bursts and cortical activity in 26 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Postoperatively, we simultaneously recorded STN local field potentials (LFP) from externalized DBS leads and cortical activity using whole-brain magnetoencephalography. Event-related magnetic fields (ERF) were averaged time-locked to STN beta bursts and subjected to source localization. Our results demonstrate that ERF exhibiting activity significantly different from baseline activity were localized within areas functionally related to associative, limbic, and motor systems as well as regions pertinent for visual and language processing. Our data suggest that STN beta bursts are involved in network formation between STN and cortex. This interaction is in line with the idea of parallel processing within the basal ganglia-cortex loop, specifically within the functional subsystems of the STN (i.e., associative, limbic, motor, and the related cortical areas). ERFs within visual and language-related cortical areas indicate involvement of beta bursts in STN-cortex networks beyond the associative, limbic, and motor loops. In sum, our results highlight the involvement of STN beta bursts in the formation of multiple STN - cortex loops in patients with PD.

Norepinephrine and dopamine contribute to distinct repetitive behaviors induced by novel odorant stress in male and female mice

Exposure to unfamiliar odorants induces an array of repetitive defensive and non-defensive behaviors in rodents which likely reflect adaptive stress responses to the uncertain valence of novel stimuli. Mice genetically deficient for dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh-/-) lack the enzyme required to convert dopamine (DA) into norepinephrine (NE), resulting in globally undetectable NE and supranormal DA levels. Because catecholamines modulate novelty detection and reactivity, we investigated the effects of novel plant-derived odorants on repetitive behaviors in Dbh-/- mice and Dbh+/- littermate controls, which have catecholamine levels comparable to wild-type mice. Unlike Dbh+/- controls, which exhibited vigorous digging in response to novel odorants, Dbh-/- mice displayed excessive grooming. Drugs that block NE synthesis or neurotransmission suppressed odorant-induced digging in Dbh+/- mice, while a DA receptor antagonist attenuated grooming in Dbh-/- mice. The testing paradigm elicited high circulating levels of corticosterone regardless of Dbh genotype, indicating that NE is dispensable for this systemic stress response. Odorant exposure increased NE and DA abundance in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Dbh+/- mice, while Dbh-/- animals lacked NE and had elevated PFC DA levels that were unaffected by novel smells. Together, these findings suggest that novel odorant-induced increases in central NE tone contribute to repetitive digging and reflect psychological stress, while central DA signaling contributes to repetitive grooming. Further, we have established a simple method for repeated assessment of stress-induced repetitive behaviors in mice, which may be relevant for modeling neuropsychiatric disorders like Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder that are characterized by stress-induced exacerbation of compulsive symptoms.

Spike-Dependent Dynamic Partitioning of the Locus Coeruleus Network through Noradrenergic Volume Release in a Simulation of Nucleus Core

The Locus coeruleus (LC) modulates various neuronal circuits throughout the brain. Its unique architectural organization encompasses a net of axonal innervation that spans the entire brain, while its somatic core is highly compact. Recent research revealed an unexpected cellular input specificity within the nucleus that can give rise to various network states that either broadcast norepinephrine signals throughout the brain or pointedly modulate specific brain areas. Such adaptive input–output functions likely surpass our existing network models that build upon a given synaptic wiring configuration between neurons. As the distances between noradrenergic neurons in the core of the LC are unusually small, neighboring neurons could theoretically impact each other via volume transmission of NE. We therefore set out to investigate if such interaction could be mediated through noradrenergic alpha2-receptors in a spiking neuron model of the LC. We validated our model of LC neurons through comparison with experimental patch-clamp data and identified key variables that impact alpha2-mediated inhibition of neighboring LC neurons. Our simulation confirmed a reliable autoinhibition of LC neurons after episodes of high neuronal activity that continue even after neuronal activity subsided. Additionally, dendro-somatic synapses inhibited spontaneous spiking in the somatic compartment of connected neurons in our model. We determined the exact position of hundreds of LC neurons in the mouse brain stem via a tissue clearing approach and, based on this, further determined that 25 percent of noradrenergic neurons have a neighboring LC neuron within less than a 25-micrometer radius. By modeling NE diffusion, we estimated that more than 15 percent of the alpha2-adrenergic receptors fraction can bind NE within such a diffusion radius. Our spiking neuron model of LC neurons predicts that repeated or long-lasting episodes of high neuronal activity induce partitioning of the gross LC network and reduce the spike rate in neighboring neurons at distances smaller than 25 μm. As these volume-mediating neighboring effects are challenging to test with the current methodology, our findings can guide future experimental approaches to test this phenomenon and its physiological consequences.

Hypothalamic Galanin-producing neurons regulate stress in zebrafish through a peptidergic, self-inhibitory loop

Animals possess neuronal circuits inducing stress to avoid or cope with threats present in their surroundings, for instance, by promoting behaviors, such as avoidance and escape. However, mechanisms must exist to tightly control responses to stressors, since overactivation of stress circuits is deleterious for the wellbeing of an organism. The underlying neuronal dynamics responsible for controlling behavioral responses to stress have remained unclear. Here, we describe a neuronal circuit in the hypothalamus of zebrafish larvae that inhibits stress-related behaviors and prevents excessive activation of the neuroendocrine pathway hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis. Central components of this circuit are neurons secreting the neuropeptide Galanin, as ablation of these neurons led to abnormally high levels of stress. Surprisingly, we found that Galanin has a self-inhibitory action on Galanin-producing neurons. Our results suggest that hypothalamic Galanin-producing neurons play an important role in fine-tuning stress responses by preventing potentially harmful overactivation of stress-regulating circuits.

Spexin and Galanin in Metabolic Functions and Social Behaviors With a Focus on Non-Mammalian Vertebrates

Spexin (SPX) and galanin (GAL) are two neuropeptides that are phylogenetically related and have descended from a common ancestral gene. Considerable attention has been given to these two multifunctional neuropeptides because they share GAL receptors 1,2, and 3. Since GAL and SPX-synthesizing neurons have been detected in several brain areas, therefore, it can be speculated that SPX and GAL are involved in various neurophysiological functions. Several studies have shown the functions of these two neuropeptides in energy regulation, reproduction, and response to stress. SPX acts as a satiety factor to suppress food intake, while GAL has the opposite effect as an orexigenic factor. There is evidence that SPX acts as an inhibitor of reproductive functions by suppressing gonadotropin release, while GAL modulates the activity of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the brain and gonadotropic cells in the pituitary. SPX and GAL are responsive to stress. Furthermore, SPX can act as an anxiolytic factor, while GAL exerts anti-depressant and pro-depressive effects depending on the receptor it binds. This review describes evidence supporting the central roles of SPX and GAL neuropeptides in energy balance, reproduction, stress, and social behaviors, with a particular focus on non-mammalian vertebrate systems.

Cell-type specific expression and behavioral impact of galanin and GalR1 in the locus coeruleus during opioid withdrawal

The neuropeptide galanin is reported to attenuate opioid withdrawal symptoms, potentially by reducing neuronal hyperactivity in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) via galanin receptor 1 (GalR1). We evaluated this mechanism by using RNAscope in situ hybridization to characterize GalR1 mRNA distribution in the dorsal pons and to compare galanin and GalR1 mRNA expression in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) LC cells at baseline and following chronic morphine or precipitated withdrawal. We then used genetically altered mouse lines and pharmacology to test whether noradrenergic galanin (NE-Gal) modulates withdrawal symptoms. RNAscope revealed that, while GalR1 signal was evident in the dorsal pons, 80.7% of the signal was attributable to TH- neurons outside the LC. Galanin and TH mRNA were abundant in LC cells at baseline and were further increased by withdrawal, whereas low basal GalR1 mRNA expression was unaltered by chronic morphine or withdrawal. Naloxone-precipitated withdrawal symptoms in mice lacking NE-Gal (Gal^cKO-Dbh ) were largely similar to WT littermates, indicating that loss of NE-Gal does not exacerbate withdrawal. Complementary experiments using NE-Gal overexpressor mice (NE-Gal OX) and systemic administration of the galanin receptor agonist galnon revealed that increasing galanin signaling also failed to alter behavioral withdrawal, while suppressing noradrenergic transmission with the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine attenuated multiple symptoms. These results indicate that galanin does not acutely attenuate precipitated opioid withdrawal via an LC-specific mechanism, which has important implications for the general role of galanin in regulation of somatic and affective opioid responses and LC activity.

Anticipatory Energization Revealed by Pupil and Brain Activity Guides Human Effort-Based Decision Making

An organism's fitness is determined by how it chooses to adapt to effort in response to challenges. Exertion of effort correlates with activity in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and noradrenergic pupil dilation, but little is known about the role of these neurophysiological processes for decisions about future efforts, they may provide anticipatory energization to help us accept the challenge or a cost representation that is weighted against the expected rewards. Here, we provide evidence for the former, by measuring pupil and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain responses while 52 human participants (29 females) chose whether to exert efforts to obtain rewards. Both pupil-dilation rate and dmPFC fMRI activity increased with anticipated effort level, and these increases differ depending on the choice outcome: they were stronger when participants chose to accept the challenge compared with when the challenge was declined. Crucially, the choice-dependent modulation of pupil and brain-activity effort representations were stronger in participants whose behavioral choices were more sensitive to effort. Our results identify a process involving the peripheral and central human nervous system that simulates the required energization before overt response, suggesting a role in guiding effort-based decisions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain's arousal system tracks the effort we engage in during strenuous activity. But much less is known about what role this effort signaling may play when we decide whether to exert effort in the future. Here, we characterize pupil-linked arousal and brain signals that guide decisions whether to engage in effort to gain money. During such choices, increases in brain activity and pupil dilation correlated with the effort involved in the chosen option, and these increases were stronger when people decided to accept the effort compared with when they rejected it. These results suggest that the brain arousal system guides decisions by energizing the organism for the prospective challenge.

Co-released norepinephrine and galanin act on different timescales to promote stress-induced anxiety-like behavior

Both the noradrenergic and galaninergic systems have been implicated in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, and these two neuromodulators are co-released from the stress-responsive locus coeruleus (LC); however, the individual contributions of LC-derived norepinephrine (NE) and galanin to behavioral stress responses are unclear. Here we aimed to disentangle the functional roles of co-released NE and galanin in stress-induced behavior. We used foot shock, optogenetics, and behavioral pharmacology in wild-type (WT) mice and mice lacking either NE (Dbh^-/-) or galanin (Gal^cKO-Dbh) specifically in noradrenergic neurons to isolate the roles of these co-transmitters in regulating anxiety-like behavior in the elevated zero maze (EZM) either immediately or 24 h following stress. Foot shock and optogenetic LC stimulation produced immediate anxiety-like behavior in WT mice, and the effects of foot shock persisted for 24 h. NE-deficient mice were resistant to the anxiogenic effects of acute stress and optogenetic LC stimulation, while mice lacking noradrenergic-derived galanin displayed typical increases in anxiety-like behavior. However, when tested 24 h after foot shock, both Dbh^-/- and Gal^cKO-Dbh mice lacked normal expression of anxiety-like behavior. Pharmacological rescue of NE, but not galanin, in knockout mice during EZM testing was anxiogenic. In contrast, restoring galanin, but not NE, signaling during foot shock normalized stress-induced anxiety-like behavior 24 h later. These results indicate that NE and noradrenergic-derived galanin play complementary, but distinguishable roles in behavioral responses to stress. NE is required for the expression of acute stress-induced anxiety, while noradrenergic-derived galanin mediates the development of more persistent responses following a stressor.

Circuit selectivity in drug versus natural reward seeking behaviors

Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized, in part by behavior biased toward drug use and away from natural sources of reward (e.g., social interaction, food, sex). The neurobiological underpinnings of SUDs reveal distinct brain regions where neuronal activity is necessary for the manifestation of SUD-characteristic behaviors. Studies that specifically examine how these regions are involved in behaviors motivated by drug versus natural reward allow determinations of which regions are necessary for regulating seeking of both reward types, and appraisals of novel SUD therapies for off-target effects on behaviors motivated by natural reward. Here, we evaluate studies directly comparing regulatory roles for specific brain regions in drug versus natural reward. While it is clear that many regions drive behaviors motivated by all reward types, based on the literature reviewed we propose a set of interconnected regions that become necessary for behaviors motivated by drug, but not natural rewards. The circuitry is selectively necessary for drug seeking includes an Action/Reward subcircuit, comprising nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, and ventral tegmental area, a Prefrontal subcircuit comprising prelimbic, infralimbic, and insular cortices, a Stress subcircuit comprising the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and a Diencephalon circuit including lateral hypothalamus. Evidence was mixed for nucleus accumbens shell, insular cortex, and ventral pallidum. Studies for all other brain nuclei reviewed supported a necessary role in regulating both drug and natural reward seeking. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies to further disambiguate the necessity of brain regions in drug- versus natural reward-associated behaviors.

Cancer and stress: NextGen strategies

Chronic stress is well-known to cause physiological distress that leads to body balance perturbations by altering signaling pathways in the neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous systems. This increases allostatic load, which is the cost of physiological fluctuations that are required to cope with psychological challenges as well as changes in the physical environment. Recent studies have enriched our knowledge about the role of chronic stress in disease development, especially carcinogenesis. Stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), resulting in an abnormal release of hormones. These activate signaling pathways that elevate expression of downstream oncogenes. This occurs by activation of specific receptors that promote numerous cancer biological processes, including proliferation, genomic instability, angiogenesis, metastasis, immune evasion and metabolic disorders. Moreover, accumulating evidence has revealed that β-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) antagonists and downstream target inhibitors exhibit remarkable anti-tumor effects. Psychosomatic behavioral interventions (PBI) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) also effectively relieve the impact of stress in cancer patients. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for stress in promoting malignancies. Collectively, these data provide approaches for NextGen pharmacological therapies, PBI and TCM to reduce the burden of tumorigenesis.