title: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma - The molecular drivers of PAX3/7-FOXO1-induced tumorigenesis.
abstract: Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma arising from cells of a mesenchymal or skeletal muscle lineage. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is more aggressive than the more common embryonal (ERMS) subtype. ARMS is more prone to metastasis and carries a poorer prognosis. In contrast to ERMS, the majority of ARMS tumors carry one of several characteristic chromosomal translocations, such as t(2;13)(q35;q14), which results in the expression of a PAX3-FOXO1 fusion transcription factor. In this review we discuss the genes that cooperate with PAX3-FOXO1, as well as the target genes of the fusion transcription factor that contribute to various aspects of ARMS tumorigenesis. The characterization of these pathways will lead to a better understanding of ARMS tumorigenesis and will allow the design of novel targeted therapies that will lead to better treatment for this aggressive pediatric tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA. gerard.grosveld@stjude.org.
authors.forename: Amy D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Gerard C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Grosveld