The findings could lead to better treatments for the highly aggressive tumors, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital said Friday.

The researchers discovered that three proteins, designated BMP2, BMP4 and BMP7, induce malignant cells to develop into normal neurons. "We think we have identified a pathway that can be used to prevent tumor formation and a potential target for therapy," senior author Martine F. Roussel said in a statement.

The report, published in the journal Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, said gene transfer experiments were successfully conducted on mice.