Targeting ferroptosis for new neuroblastoma therapies.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid tumor outside the brain of infants and very young children. The aggressive forms of neuroblastoma are often accompanied by an increased resistance to current chemotherapies due to defects in the molecular mechanisms that normally leads to the death of cancer cells. Therefore, the challenge is to find new molecular mechanisms to kill the cancer cells. Recently, we discovered a new approach to kill aggressive therapy-resistant neuroblastoma in mice by triggering a sort of biological rusting in cancer cells called ferroptosis. Ferroptosis rusts away the membranes of cells, which quickly kills the cells. By using nanoparticles, we were able to minimize the side effects of treatment and enhanced tumor targeting. However, to get full tumor regression without relapse using a nanomedicinal approach, it is needed to further improve the efficacy of ferroptosis targeting in neuroblastoma. In this project, we will use different genetic and pharmacological approaches to improve the therapeutic applicability of ferroptosis in neuroblastoma. We will identify potent ferroptosis triggers and nanoparticles, which could effectively suppress the tumor growth and relapse in cell- and patient-derived mouse cancer models as a stepping stone to clinical investigation.

Keywords:CANCER, NEUROBLASTOMA

Disciplines:Cell death, Cell signalling, Molecular and cell biology not elsewhere classified, Cancer biology, Cancer therapy

Project type:Collaboration project