Research led by Michael Lan, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, found that a compound named 5'-iodotubercidin (5'-IT) suppresses the growth of neuroblastoma cells and identified a potential new therapeutic approach for the disease.
Research led by Michael Lan, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, found that a compound named 5'-iodotubercidin (5'-IT) suppresses the growth of neuroblastoma cells and identified a potential new therapeutic approach for the disease. The paper, currently available online here, will be published in the April 12, 2019, issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Neuroblastoma is the most common non-brain solid tumor in children. It is a cancer of neuroendocrine cells – cells that have characteristics of both nerve cells and hormone-producing cells. Neuroblastomas start in immature nerve cells, called neuroblasts, of the sympathetic nervous system. They form when there are abnormal changes in the genes controlling the development of these young cells into specialized cells. While some neuroblastomas resolve on their own, others can be fatal. The objective of the research was to find a new drug for the treatment of aggressive neuroblastoma tumors.
Dr. Lan's laboratory studies a DNA-binding protein, INSM1, made from the gene that regulates the development of immature or undifferentiated neuroendocrine cells. INSM1 is activated by another protein called N-Myc, and both are overproduced in neuroblastoma.
Read more at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
