The transcriptional repressor SNAI2 impairs neuroblastoma differentiation and inhibits response to retinoic acid therapy

Publication date: Available online 17 December 2019Source: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of DiseaseAuthor(s): Kirsten S. Vrenken, Britt M.T. Vervoort, Dorette S. van Ingen Schenau, Yvonne H.W. Derks, Liesbeth van Emst, Pavlo G. Grytsenko, Jeroen A.J. Middelbeek, Frank N. van LeeuwenAbstractNeuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children and originates from poorly differentiated neural crest progenitors. High-risk neuroblastoma patients frequently present with metastatic disease at diagnosis. Despite intensive treatment, patients often develop refractory disease characterized by poorly differentiated, therapy resistant cells. Although adjuvant therapy using retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation may increase event-free survival, in the majority of cases response to RA-therapy is inadequate. Consequently, current research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets that enhance the sensitivity to RA and induce neuroblastoma cell differentiation. The similarities between neural crest development and neuroblastoma progression provide an appealing starting point. During neural crest development the EMT-transcription factor SNAI2 plays an important role in neural crest specification as well as neural crest cell migration and survival.Here, we report that CRISPR/Cas9 mediated deletion as well as shRNA mediated knockdown of the EMT-transcription factor SNAI2 promotes cellular differentiation in a variety of neuroblastoma models. By com...
Source: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) Molecular Basis of Disease - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research