September Research News
Research study reveals that age can influence neuroblastoma development
New insights into neuroblastoma could help better tailor treatment for children affected by this rare and aggressive cancer.
The study, by an international consortium led by St Anna Children’s Cancer research Institute in Vienna analysed the samples of 317 study patients and revealed that age can influence cancer development.
Inge Ambros, MD, said that the study led to several new insights which show that, in the case of localised tumours, genetics in neuroblastoma cannot be judged in the same way as before. A further refining of risk grouping is possible and this new concept will have consequences for more exact treatment approaches.
Thanks to your support, Neuroblastoma UK provided early funding of £166,055 in 2008-2011 as part of this important research project.
Professor Tweddle said, “This international collaborative study from the USA and Europe investigated the genetics of localised, resectable, non –MYCN amplified neuroblastomas from patients who were treated with surgery alone. The study found that in patients over 18 months of age, certain genetic features predict recurrence and a poorer prognosis. A future international clinical trial will consider randomising patients to post-operative chemotherapy”
Read the full news article on St Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute >>>
Aggressive childhood cancer could be treated by combining DNA-damage targeting drugs
An aggressive form of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma could be treatable with two cancer drugs currently used in the treatment of colon and ovarian cancer, a study led by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, suggests.
A team led by researchers at the ICR modified neuroblastoma cells in the lab to silence a gene called ATRX, mutations to which are associated with a chemotherapy resistant form of the disease which is often fatal in children.
These ATRX-deficient cells were particularly sensitive to a combination of the drugs olaparib and irinotecan, which killed cancer cells by preventing DNA repair.9th
ATRX-deficient tumours in mice were also sensitive to the double treatment, including one derived from a child’s neuroblastoma tumour.
The research, published in the journal EBioMedicine, describes a new model for studying this aggressive form of neuroblastoma, and could lead to a new way of treating it.
This work was supported by a range of funders including Neuroblastoma UK, Christopher’s Smile and Cancer Research UK.
Read the full news article on Institute of Cancer Research website >>>