Finding Therapeutic Targets in Mesenchymal-Like Neuroblastoma Cells
Mentor Name: John Maris
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor found in the developing sympathetic nervous system. Tumor cells can be classified into two main subtypes: noradrenergic-like and mesenchymal-like. Noradrenergic cells are fast growing and make up most of the tumor mass, while also being susceptible to most chemotherapies. Mesenchymal cells, on the other hand, grow much slower and are more resistant to existing therapies. It is hypothesized that these mesenchymal cells are primarily responsible for cancer relapse. In the Maris lab, we have access to both noradrenergic-like and mesenchymal-like cell lines, as well as cell lines that shift from one subtype to another. We have observed that medicines used in the clinic target proteins present only in the noradrenergic subtype and not in the mesenchymal cells, which may explain why not all patients respond. To address this group of patients, we have been studying a receptor (AXL) that is found in mesenchymal neuroblastoma cell lines and could be a possible therapeutic target.
