Gene regulating neuroblastoma tumors found

RICHMOND, Va., June 3 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have identified a gene that might play a key role in regulating tumor growth in neuroblastomas, a form of cancer found in children.

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers said their finding might lead to an effective therapy to inhibit the expression of the gene.

Professor Paul Fisher and Assistant Professor Seok-Geun Lee, who co-led the research, said their team showed astrocyte elevated gene-1, a cancer promoting gene, is frequently activated in neuroblastoma.

Fisher, Lee and their team found the elevated expression of AEG-1 makes cancer cells highly aggressive and resistant to factors that might influence cell suicide, and loss of the gene reduced the tumor-causing properties of highly aggressive neuroblastoma cells.

"We believe that activation of AEG-1 in addition to MYCN (a known genetic determinant of neuroblastoma that's linked with aggressive tumor formation and poor clinical outcomes) is critical to the development and progression of neuroblastoma," Fisher said. "In addition, we have shown that AEG-1 could be a potential prognostic marker for neuroblastoma and a potential target for novel therapeutic strategies for neuroblastoma patients."

The study, which included Dr. Van Maerken of Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, is reported in the May issue of the journal Oncogene.