Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neuroblastoma, a malignant neoplasm that arises in the adrenal medulla or sympathetic ganglion, is one of the most common solid tumors of childhood. Reports that neuroblastomas spontaneously mature to form benign ganglioneuromas have prompted investigations into the efficacy of using agents that induce neuronal differentiation in the treatment of this malignancy. Retinoic acid is one agent in particular that has been shown to induce growth inhibition and terminal differentiation of neuroblastoma cell lines in vitro. Using the human neuroblastoma cell line SMH-KCNR, we have investigated the role of the extracellular matrix protein thrombospondin in retinoic acid induced neuroblastoma differentiation. Treatment with retinoic acid results in a rapid induction (within 4 h) of thrombospondin (TSP) message which is independent of intervening protein synthesis and superinducible in the presence of cycloheximide. This suggests that TSP functions as a retinoic acid inducible immediate early response gene. A concomitant increase in both cell associated and soluble forms of TSP protein can be detected within 24 h of retinoic acid treatment. A functional role for TSP in SMH-KCNR differentiation was established in experiments which showed that exposure to anti-TSP monoclonal antibodies delay retinoic acid differentiation for 48 h. At the time the cells overcome the effects of TSP inhibition, laminin production becomes maximal. Treatment of the cells with a combination of anti-TSP and antilaminin antibodies results in complete inhibition of differentiation.
 ...
PMID:Induction of thrombospondin 1 by retinoic acid is important during differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. 143 Feb 9

Based on the hypothesis that the attachment of neuroectodermal cells to thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) may affect tumor spread and play a role in the anti-tumor effects of retinoic acid, we investigated the expression of TSP-1 in these cells in situ and the effect of retinoic acid on the morphology of TSP-1-adherent neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) and malignant astrocytoma (U-251MG) cells in vitro. TSP-1-adherent SK-N-SH cells demonstrated process outgrowth, with further neuronal differentiation after retinoic acid treatment, consistent with the in situ studies showing that TSP-1 expression occurs in a differentiation-specific manner in neuroblastic tumors. TSP-1-adherent U-251MG cells failed to spread; however, after retinoic acid treatment the cells demonstrated broad lamellipodia containing radial actin fibers and organization of integrins alpha3beta1 and alpha5beta1 in clusters in lamellipodia and filopodia. The attachment of both SK-N-SH and U-251MG cells to TSP-1 was found to be mediated by heparan sulfate proteoglycans, integrins, and the CLESH-1 adhesion domain first identified in CD36. Heparin and heparitinase treatment inhibited TSP-1 attachment. Integrins alpha3beta1 and alpha5beta1 mediated TSP-1 attachment of SK-N-SH cells, and integrins alpha3beta1, alpha5beta1, and alphavbeta3 mediated TSP-1 attachment of U-251MG cells. Attachment was dependent on the RGD sequence which is located in the carboxy-terminus of TSP-1. Treatment with a pharmacologic dosage of retinoic acid altered the TSP-1 cell adhesion mechanism in both cell lines in that neither heparin nor micromolar concentrations of the RGD peptide inhibited attachment; after treatment, attachment was inhibited by the CSVTCG peptide located in the type I repeat domain of TSP-1 and a recombinant adhesion domain (CLESH-1) from CD36. Expression of CD36 was found in the retinoic acid-treated U-251MG cells. These data indicate that neuroectodermally derived cells utilize several mechanisms to attach to TSP-1, and these are differentially modulated by treatment with retinoic acid. These data also suggest that the CSVTCG sequence of TSP-1 modulates or directs cytoskeletal organization in neuroblastoma and astrocytoma cells.
 ...
PMID:Retinoic acid alters the mechanism of attachment of malignant astrocytoma and neuroblastoma cells to thrombospondin-1. 1032 56

In the developing vertebrate nervous system, several proteins of the thrombospondin superfamily act on axonal pathfinding. By successive screening of a SCO-cDNA library, we have characterized a new member of this superfamily, which we call SCO-spondin. This extracellular matrix glycoprotein of 4,560 amino acids is expressed and secreted early in development by the subcommissural organ (SCO), an ependymal differentiation located in the roof of the Sylvian aqueduct. Furthermore, SCO-spondin makes part of Reissner's fiber (RF), a thread-like structure present in the central canal of the spinal cord. This novel protein shows a unique arrangement of several conserved domains, including 26 thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSR), nine low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) type A domains, two epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains, and N- and C-terminal von Willebrand factor (vWF) cysteine-rich domains, all of which are potent sites of protein-protein interaction. Regarding the huge number of TSR, the putative function of SCO-spondin on axonal guidance is discussed in comparison with other developmental molecules of the CNS exhibiting TSR. To correlate SCO-spondin molecular feature and function, we tested the effect of oligopeptides, whose sequences include highly conserved amino acids of the consensus domains on a neuroblastoma cell line B 104. One of these peptides (WSGWSSCSRSCG) markedly increased neurite outgrowth of B 104 cells and this effect was dose dependent. Thus, SCO-spondin is a favorable substrate for neurite outgrowth and may participate in the posterior commissure formation and spinal cord differentiation during ontogenesis of the central nervous system.
 ...
PMID:Subcommissural organ/Reissner's fiber complex: characterization of SCO-spondin, a glycoprotein with potent activity on neurite outgrowth. 1100 17

SCO-spondin is a newly identified protein that is strongly expressed in the subcommissural organ (SCO), an ependymal differentiation of the brain. When released into the cerebrospinal fluid at the entrance to the Sylvian aqueduct, the glycoproteins condense and form a thread-like structure, Reissner's fiber (RF). To analyze the role of SCO-spondin on neuronal development, we studied the effects induced by an oligopeptide derived from a thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) of SCO-spondin on neuroblastoma B104 cells and compared them with the effects of soluble RF material containing complete SCO-spondin proteins. In low density cell culture, the TSR peptide first induced a notable flattening of cells accompanied by increased neurite outgrowth. Grouping of these differentiated B104 cells, which later formed dense aggregates, was then observed with increasing time in culture. Soluble RF material induced similar morphological changes and neurite-promoting effects on B104 cells, although the cells remained evenly distributed throughout the culture time and no aggregates were visible. In high-density cell culture, both TSR peptide and RF material induced prominent neurite outgrowth and subsequent rapid cell aggregation. Whereas soluble RF material inhibited cell proliferation, no respective effect was observed in the presence of the TSR peptide. A direct interaction of TSR peptide and soluble RF material with a B104 cell binding site was revealed by increased B104 cell metabolic activity by flow cytometry.
 ...
PMID:Effects of SCO-spondin thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSR) in comparison to Reissner's fiber material on the differentiation of the B104 neuroblastoma cell line. 1145 12

Valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to induce growth-arrest and differentiation of human neuroectodermal tumors similarly to several other fatty acids. In the present study, we show that continuous VPA treatment together with Interferon-alpha (INF-alpha) synergistically inhibited cell growth of a well-established model of neuroblastoma (NB) differentiation using the human N-myc amplified cell line BE(2)-C. Suppression of tumor growth was accompanied by morphological features of neuronal differentiation and inhibition of histone deacetylase activity. Furthermore, induction of differentiation was concomitant with altered expression of genes related to malignant phenotype such as down-regulation of N-myc, induction of bcl-2 and neural cell adhesion molecule. Production of inhibitors of angiogenesis like thrombospondin-1 and activin A was up-regulated in differentiated NB cells. Treatment with VPA alone decreased the ability of BE(2)-C cells to adhere to and penetrate human endothelium. All these effects of VPA were significantly enhanced when combined with INF-alpha which on its own had little or no effect. These results suggest that combination of VPA and INF-alpha may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for NB due to enhanced inhibition of tumor cell growth, induction of tumor differentiation and suppression of malignant biology by reduced angiogenic and decreased metastatic potentials.
 ...
PMID:Induction of differentiation and suppression of malignant phenotype of human neuroblastoma BE(2)-C cells by valproic acid: enhancement by combination with interferon-alpha. 1174 48

Tumor angiogenesis, a major requirement for tumor outgrowth and metastasis, is regulated by pro- and antiangiogenic factors. Methylation-associated inactivation of the angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been observed recently in some adult tumors. To investigate the role of TSP-1 in pediatric cancer, we examined its pattern of expression and mechanisms of regulation in neuroblastoma (NB). TSP-1 was silenced in a subset of undifferentiated, advanced-stage tumors and NB cell lines. In contrast, most localized tumors expressed this angiogenesis inhibitor, and a significant correlation between morphological evidence of neuroblast differentiation and TSP-1 expression was observed. Luciferase assays demonstrated the presence of nuclear factors required for TSP-1 transcription in both TSP-1-positive and -negative cell lines, but no correlation between TSP-1 promoter activity and the level of TSP-1 mRNA expression was seen. Our studies indicate that the transcriptional silencing of TSP-1 was caused by methylation. TSP-1 promoter methylation was detected in all of the NB cell lines lacking TSP-1 mRNA and in 37% of the NB clinical tumors analyzed. Furthermore, treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC), restored TSP-1 expression in NB cell lines. Disrupting methylation with 5-Aza-dC also led to significant inhibition of NB in vivo and re-expression of TSP-1 in a subset of NB xenografts. These results suggest that 5-Aza-dC inhibits NB growth by augmenting the expression of TSP-1 along with other genes that suppress tumor growth. Demethylating agents may prove to be effective candidates for the treatment of children with NB.
 ...
PMID:Methylation-associated silencing of the thrombospondin-1 gene in human neuroblastoma. 1455 17

In the central and peripheral nervous systems a heterogeneous group of proteins constituting the thrombospondin superfamily provides a cue for axonal pathfinding. They either contain or are devoid of the tripeptide RGD, and the sequence(s) and mechanism(s) which trigger in vitro their neurite-promoting activity have remained unclear. In this study, we reconsider the problem of whether sequences present in the thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSRs), and independent of the well-known RGD-binding site, may activate integrins and account for their neurite-promoting activity. SCO-spondin is a newly identified member of the thrombospondin superfamily, which shows a multidomain organization with a great number of TSR motifs but no RGD sequence. Previous research has implicated oligopeptides derived from SCO-spondin TSRs in in-vitro development of various neuronal cell types. In this study, we investigate whether function-blocking antibodies directed against integrin subunits can block these effects in cell line B104, cloned from a neuroblastoma of the rat central nervous system. By two different approaches: flow cytometry revealing short-term effects and cell cultures revealing long-term effects, we show that: (a). activation of cell metabolism, (b). changes in cell size and structure, and (c). neurite-promoting activity induced by TSR oligopeptides are inhibited by function-blocking antibodies to beta1-subunit. Using a panel of function-blocking antibodies directed against various integrin alpha-subunits we show that the alpha1-subunit might be the partner of the beta1-subunit in B104 cells. Thus, we demonstrate that an original sequence within a TSR motif from SCO-spondin promotes neurite outgrowth through an intracellular signal driven by integrins, independently of an RGD-binding site.
 ...
PMID:Alpha1beta1-integrin is an essential signal for neurite outgrowth induced by thrombospondin type 1 repeats of SCO-spondin. 1456 3

In the pediatric cancer neuroblastoma, clinically aggressive disease is associated with increased levels of angiogenesis stimulators and high vascular index. We and others have hypothesized that blocking angiogenesis may be effective treatment for this pediatric malignancy. However, little is known about the efficacy of antiangiogenic agents in pediatric malignancies. Recently, promising results have been reported in an adult phase I study of ABT-510, a peptide derivative of the natural angiogenic inhibitor thrombospondin-1. Histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as valproic acid (VPA), have also been shown to have antiangiogenic activity in several cancer models. In this study, we evaluated the effects of ABT-510 and VPA on neuroblastoma tumor growth and angiogenesis. Although only VPA was capable of blocking the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells and inducing neuroblastoma cell apoptosis in vitro, treatment with VPA or ABT-510 alone significantly suppressed the growth of neuroblastoma xenografts established from two different MYCN-amplified cell lines. Combination therapy more effectively inhibited the growth of small neuroblastoma xenografts than single-agent treatment, and in animals with large xenografts, total cessation of tumor growth was achieved with this treatment approach. The microvascular density was significantly reduced in the xenografts treated with combination therapy compared with controls or tumors treated with single agents. In addition, the number of structurally abnormal vessels was reduced, suggesting that these agents may "normalize" the tumor vasculature. Our results indicate that ABT-510 combined with VPA may be an effective antiangiogenic treatment strategy for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
 ...
PMID:Thrombospondin-1 peptide ABT-510 combined with valproic acid is an effective antiangiogenesis strategy in neuroblastoma. 1730 13

In mammals, the limited regenerating potential of the central nervous system (CNS) in adults contrasts with the plasticity of the embryonic and perinatal periods. SCO (subcommissural organ)-spondin is a protein secreted early by the developing central nervous system, potentially involved in the development of commissural fibers. SCO-spondin stimulates neuronal differentiation and neurite growth in vitro. NX210 oligopeptide was designed from SCO-spondin's specific thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) sequences that support the main neurogenic properties of the molecule. The objective of this work was to assess the neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties of NX210 in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). In vitro studies were carried out on the B104 neuroblastoma cell line demonstrating neuroprotection by the resistance to oxidative damage using hydrogen peroxide and the measure of cell viability by metabolic activity. In vivo studies were performed in two rat models of SCI: (1) a model of aspiration of dorsal funiculi followed by the insertion of a collagen tube in situ to limit collateral sprouting; white matter regeneration was assessed using neurofilament immunostaining; (2) a rat spinal cord contusion model to assess functional recovery using BBB scale and reflex testing. We demonstrate for the first time that NX210 (a) provides neuroprotection to oxidative stress in the B104 neuroblastoma cells, (b) stimulates axonal regrowth in longitudinally oriented neofibers in the aspiration model of SCI and (c) significantly improves functional recovery in the contusive model of SCI.
...
PMID:SCO-spondin derived peptide NX210 induces neuroprotection in vitro and promotes fiber regrowth and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. 2466 43