Grant Christa N, Wills Carson A, Liu Xiaoming, Chen Longgui, Liu Zhenqiu, Wang Hong-Gang
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Biomedicines. 2024 Nov 14;12(11):2606. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12112606.
Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric solid tumor with poor outcomes in high-risk patients. The identification of new therapeutic biomarkers is critical for the treatment of disease.
An analysis of large publicly available datasets of tumor gene expression was performed. In vivo studies were performed to elucidate the role of contactin-1 (CNTN1) in tumor progression.
Expression of the glycoprotein CNTN1 is elevated in neuroblastoma compared to other tumor types. CNTN1 expression is higher in stage 1 and non-MYCN-amplified tumors, compared to more aggressive stage 4 and MYCN-amplified tumors. Moreover, high CNTN1 expression is associated with increased overall survival in neuroblastoma patients. In vivo studies demonstrate reduced metastasis in mice xenografted with CNTN1 knockout tumors compared to wildtype.
The results of this study suggest that CNTN1 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Further investigation of CNTN1 could have significant clinical implications for improving neuroblastoma treatment.
