Dissecting controllers of cell state heterogeneity in neuroblastoma
Mentor Name: Adam Durbin
Neuroblastoma is a common solid tumor of childhood. Unfortunately, even with our best and most intensive treatments, sometimes the disease comes back after treatment, and when it does, it is usually hard to treat and is often fatal. Our own work and that of others has identified that neuroblastoma cells exist in two "states" which are resistant or sensitive to chemotherapies, and these two types of cells exist in the same tumor. How these cells interact to cause the tumor to relapse is unknown. Here, we will study how these cells become sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy, using new models we have created. In doing so, we hope to be able to understand how neuroblastoma becomes resistant to chemotherapy, and use this knowledge to target these processes, to make this disease more treatable.
