The effects of selective inhibitors of N-Glycosylation and Endoplasmic Reticulum stress inducers on Neuroblastoma cell proliferation and Apoptosis

Abstract

Among all childhood cancers diagnosed, neuroblastoma (NB) is the most prevalent during infancy. In patients younger than 15 years, it accounts for more than 7% of malignancies and about 15% of all paediatric mortalities. A family history of NB is considered a genetic predisposition and risk factor. In 1-2% of inherited cases, the molecular causative factors linked to the disease are germline mutations, including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK, gain of function), PHOX2B (loss of function) and MYCN (gain of function). NB differs from most solid tumours because of its heterogeneity in both pathobiologic and clinical behaviour, ranging from spontaneous regression to highly-aggressive metastatic disease resistant to conventional and investigational anticancer drugs. Hence, NB embodies a spectrum of disease.