BDNF and central nervous system cancer: This finding builds upon prior reports establishing that neurons and neuronal activity increase high-grade glioma growth through the secretion of paracrine factors, like NLGN3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in an activity-dependent manner23,24 or by forming bona fide AMPA receptor-dependent neuron-to-glioma synapses25,26.