title: N-cadherin in neuroblastoma disease: expression and clinical significance.
abstract: One of the first and most important steps in the metastatic cascade is the loss of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. N-cadherin, a crucial mediator of homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell interactions, might play a central role in the metastasis of neuroblastoma (NB), a solid tumor of neuroectodermal origin. Using Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Western blot, immunocytochemistry and Tissue MicroArrays (TMA) we demonstrate the expression of N-cadherin in neuroblastoma tumors and cell lines. All neuroblastic tumors (n = 356) and cell lines (n = 10) expressed various levels of the adhesion protein. The N-cadherin mRNA expression was significantly lower in tumor samples from patients suffering metastatic disease. Treatment of NB cell lines with the N-cadherin blocking peptide ADH-1 (Exherin, Adherex Technologies Inc.), strongly inhibited tumor cell proliferation in vitro by inducing apoptosis. Our results suggest that N-cadherin signaling may play a role in neuroblastoma disease, marking involvement of metastasis and determining neuroblastoma cell viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. tim.lammens@ugent.be
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lammens
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swerts
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Derycke
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Craemer
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Brouwer
authors.forename: Katleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Preter
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Roy
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandesompele
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Speleman
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Philippé
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beiske
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bracke
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laureys
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger