Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Neuroblastoma is the most common type of childhood solid tumor located outside of the skull, and it frequently spreads to other areas. High-risk neuroblastoma is difficult to treat and has dismal survival rates. Using advanced technologies for tracking how new proteins are made in laboratory cultures, we have investigated how tumor cells can rapidly and uniquely adapt to adverse conditions such as loss of attachment that normal cells cannot survive. We have identified multiple reprogrammed signatures in tumor cells that may uncover the "Achilles heel", or particular vulnerabilities of tumor cells if blocked. Among these tumor-specific signatures, MYO1B is important in regulating the movement of substances in and out of the cell (called the secretome). For the first time, we found that MYO1B is strongly expressed in highly aggressive neuroblastoma. High expression of MYO1B correlates with profoundly reduced survival in neuroblastoma patients. This research proposal is designed to define the novel mechanisms that drive aggressive forms of neuroblastoma, with the goal of developing exciting new therapeutic strategies for children affected by this disease.