title: Role of DEAD box 1 in retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma.
abstract: Analysis of hereditary and nonhereditary retinoblastoma led to the formulation of the two-hit hypothesis of cancer in the early 1970s. The two-hit hypothesis was validated in the 1980s when both copies of the RB1 gene were shown to be mutated in hereditary and nonhereditary retinoblastoma. However, consistent genetic abnormalities other than RB1 mutations suggest that additional events may be required for the formation of these malignant tumors. For example, MYCN amplification has long been known to occur in both retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma tumors and is strongly associated with poor prognosis in neuroblastoma. The DEAD box gene, DEAD box 1 (DDX1), is often coamplified with MYCN in both these childhood tumors. Here, we examine possible roles for DDX1 overexpression in retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2, Canada. roseline@cancerboard.ab.ca
authors.forename: Roseline
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Godbout
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong-Zong
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C086252:DDX1 protein, human; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases