Konstantinos V Floros, JinYang Cai, Sheeba Jacob, Richard Kurupi, Carter K Fairchild, Mayuri Shende, Colin M Coon, Krista M Powell, Benjamin R Belvin, Bin Hu, Madhavi Puchalapalli, Sivapriya Ramamoorthy, Kimberly Swift, Janina P Lewis, Mikhail G Dozmorov, John Glod, Jennifer E Koblinski, Sosipatros A Boikos, Anthony C Faber
MYCN is amplified in 20% to 25% of neuroblastoma, and MYCN -amplified neuroblastoma contributes to a large percent of pediatric cancer-related deaths. Therapy improvements for this subtype of cancer are a high priority. Here we uncover a MYCN-dependent therapeutic vulnerability in neuroblastoma. Namely, amplified MYCN rewires the cell through expression of key receptors, ultimately enhancing iron influx through increased expression of the iron import transferrin receptor 1. Accumulating iron causes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and MYCN -amplified neuroblastomas show enhanced reliance on the system Xc- cystine/glutamate antiporter for ROS detoxification through increased transcription of this receptor...
April 1, 2021: Cancer Research