Defining the molecular basis of low GD2 antigen expression in neuroblastoma

Mentor Name: Pat Reynolds

Neuroblastoma is treated with an antibody that binds to a molecule on the surface of neuroblastoma cells called GD2. With increasing use of the antibody to GD2 neuroblastomas are becoming resistant to anti-GD2 immunotherapy by no longer making GD2. If the antibody does not bind to tumor cells it does not work to help kill the neuroblastoma cells. This project is studying neuroblastoma cells from patients to understand the molecular basis for tumor cells losing GD2 and no longer binding to anti-GD2 antibodies.