An Alu-like RNA promotes cell differentiation and reduces malignancy of human neuroblastoma cells.
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric cancer characterized by remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumor nodules. Here, we demonstrate that the synthesis of a pol III-transcribed noncoding (nc) RNA (NDM29) strongly restricts NB development by promoting cell differentiation, a drop of malignancy processes, and a dramatic reduction of the tumor initiating cell (TIC) fraction in the NB cell population. Notably, the overexpression of NDM29 also confers to malignant NB cells an unpredicted susceptibility to the effects of antiblastic drugs used in NB therapy. Altogether, these results suggest the induction of NDM29 expression as possible treatment to increase cancer cells vulnerability to therapeutics and the measure of its synthesis in NB explants as prognostic factor of this cancer type.
Castelnuovo
Manuele
M
Department of Oncology, Biology, and Genetics, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
Massone
Sara
S
Tasso
Roberta
R
Fiorino
Gloria
G
Gatti
Monica
M
Robello
Mauro
M
Gatta
Elena
E
Berger
Audrey
A
Strub
Katharina
K
Florio
Tullio
T
Dieci
Giorgio
G
Cancedda
Ranieri
R
Pagano
Aldo
A
D020087:Alu Elements; D001483:Base Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D017931:DNA Primers