Lost rhythms: Breast cancer hijacks neuronal circuits that blunt GC rhythms to promote tumor progression.

In this issue of Neuron, Gomez et al.1 report that breast cancer disrupts diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations by disinhibiting hypothalamic CRH neurons. Time-specific neuromodulation restores rhythms and attenuates tumor growth by enhancing CD8+ T cell functions. This unveils a mechanism whereby cancer utilizes brain circuits that could be targetable with chronotherapy.