title: Targeting neurotrophin-3 and its dependence receptor tyrosine kinase receptor C: a new antitumoral strategy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tropomyosin-related kinase receptor C (TrkC) is a neurotrophin receptor that belongs to the tyrosine kinase receptor family. This family primarily consists of proto-oncogenes, and TrkC has been involved in oncogenic translocations. However, its expression in tumors is often associated with good prognosis, suggesting it actually acts as a tumor suppressor. TrkC has recently been demonstrated to be a dependence receptor, which regulates neuronal survival. Dependence receptors share the ability to trigger apoptosis in the absence of their ligand, a feature that has been suggested to confer a tumor suppressor function to these receptors. A selective advantage for a tumor cell to survive in an environment with limited ligand availability would hence be either to lose the expression of the dependence receptor, or to gain expression of its ligand.
  
  
  METHODS
  The role of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and its dependence receptor TrkC in neuroblastoma, and its suitability as a therapeutic target.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autocrine production of NT-3 represents a selective advantage for tumor growth and dissemination, in a large fraction of aggressive neuroblastoma. Disruption of the NT-3 autocrine loop in malignant neuroblasts, triggers neuroblastoma cell death, and inhibits neuroblastoma metastasis in animal models. Thus, a novel way of targeting the tyrosine kinase receptor, is via the reactivation of its intrinsic ability to trigger cell death.
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis, Cancer and Development Laboratory- Equipe labellisée 'La Ligue', Centre de Cancérologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5238, Université de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, 69008 Lyon, France. tauszig@lyon.fnclcc.fr
authors.forename: Servane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tauszig-Delamasure
authors.forename: Jimena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouzas-Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000187:drug effects*; D009857:Oncogenes; D020812:Receptor, trkC / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D020812:Receptor, trkC