AUTHOR=Otte Jörg , Dyberg Cecilia , Pepich Adena , Johnsen John Inge 

TITLE=MYCN Function in Neuroblastoma Development

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.624079

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.624079

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=Dysregulated expression of the transcription factor MYCN is frequently detected in nervous system tumors such as childhood neuroblastoma. Here, gene amplification of MYCN is a single oncogenic driver inducing neoplastic transformation in neural crest-derived cells. Being one of the strongest predictors of poor prognosis, abnormal MYCN expression is usually present at diagnosis but is never acquired during later tumorigenesis in MYCN non-amplified neuroblastoma. This suggests that increased MYCN expression is an early event in these cancers leading to a peculiar dysregulation of cells resulting in embryonal or cancer stem-like qualities such as an increased self-renewal, apoptotic resistance or metabolic flexibility.