Vienna (OTS) – Researchers from the University of Sheffield and St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research have developed a model that can be used to study the development of neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that primarily affects infants and young children. The results give hope for the development of tailored therapies that can treat aggressive neuroblastomas and minimize the negative effects of existing therapies on patients.
Neuroblastoma is the most common childhood solid tumor that occurs outside the brain, affecting approximately 600 children in the European Union and the United Kingdom each year. Until now, studying genetic changes and their role in the development of neuroblastoma has been challenging due to a lack of suitable laboratory methods. A new model, developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield in close collaboration with colleagues at St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research in Vienna, replicates the formation of early cancerous neuroblastoma cells, providing insight into the genetic pathway of the disease.
The one in the journal Nature Communications Published research sheds light on the complex genetic triggers of neuroblastoma. The international team examined the effects of specific mutations in chromosomes 17 and 1 in conjunction with overactivation of the MYCN gene, describing their central role in the development of aggressive neuroblastomas.
Little knowledge about tumor development
Childhood cancer is often diagnosed and discovered late, so researchers know very little about the conditions that lead to tumor formation, which occurs very early in fetal development. In order to understand tumor development, models are needed that replicate the conditions that lead to the appearance of a tumor.
The development of neuroblastoma usually begins in the womb when a group of normal embryonic cells called the neural crest (NC) mutates and becomes cancerous. In an interdisciplinary project led by stem cell expert Dr. Ingrid Saldana (Sheffield) and the computational biologist Dr. Led by Luis Montano (Vienna), the new study found a way to use human stem cells to grow NC cells in a petri dish.
These cells carried genetic changes that are common in aggressive neuroblastoma tumors. Using genomic analyzes and modern imaging techniques, the researchers found that the altered cells behaved like cancer cells and looked very similar to the neuroblastoma cells of sick children.
The results provide important insights and tools for developing tailored treatments that specifically target the cancer while minimizing the negative impact of existing therapies on patients.
Dr. Anestis Tsakiridis, from the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield and one of the study’s lead authorssaid: “Our stem cell-based model mimics the early stages of neuroblastoma development and provides invaluable insight into the genetic drivers of this devastating childhood cancer. By replicating the conditions that lead to tumor formation, we can now investigate potential treatment options with unprecedented precision.
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Dr. Florian Halbritter, Principal Investigator at St. Anna Childhood Cancer Research and second lead author of the study, adds: “This was an impressive team effort that transcended geographic and disciplinary boundaries to enable new discoveries in pediatric cancer research.
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Nature Communications Journal:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47945-7
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