Deciphering and targeting treatment resistant metastatic neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer originating from the sympathetic nervous system. Our overall aims are to unravel mechanisms leading to metastasis and treatment resistance of high-risk neuroblastoma, and to test compounds targeting aggressive neuroblastoma. We have recently established and characterized several neuroblastoma orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). These PDXs retain the genotype, phenotype, tumorigenic, and metastatic properties of the tumors from which they were derived, making them authentic models for studying and targeting neuroblastoma metastasis and resistance. Our projects encompass studies on basic tumor biology as well as translational and preclinical studies with the aim to find novel treatments. We perform molecular and functional studies of primary and metastatic tumor cells, as well as in vitro and in vivo drug testing using PDXs as model system. Discovery of novel strategies to inhibit treatment-resistant metastatic tumors can increase survival and decrease side effects for high-risk neuroblastoma patients.