Scientists Discover Neuroblastoma Gene

Scientists have discovered that mutations in a gene called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are a major cause of neuroblastoma in both inherited and noninherited forms of neuroblastoma. Previous to this finding, it was known that numerous chromosomal abnormalities, including deletions of chromosome arms 1p, 11q, and 14q, were associated with neuroblastoma, though no specific drug targets had been identified. ALK is a tyrosine kinase, one of a family of proteins that add phosphate groups to other proteins. These phosphate groups act as switches that regulate the activity of other proteins. Thus, the phosphotransferase activity of tyrosine kinases is strictly controlled in normal cells. Mutations that abnormally activate the phosphotransferase activity of tyrosine kinases are a major cause of cancer in numerous tumor types. ALK, like MYCN, can be amplified in neuroblastoma. The discovery of ALK mutations in neuroblastoma provides an exciting opportunity to develop new approaches for therapy, and an ALK inhibitor has been tested for efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer.
Read more in Medscape.
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