Cancers: Key proteins affect the survival of neuroblastoma patients

December 12, 2020 /--- -- Researchers in the Department of Cell Biology and Medical Physiology at the University of Seville have determined that the high expression of VRK1 protein is associated with tumor invasiveness and low survival rates in patients with neuroblastoma.
aggressive neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid cancers in childhood and has a high mortality rate among affected children.
Despite the progress made in recent years, the prospects for rehabilitation for children affected by invasive neuroblastoma remain low, and a better understanding of the biology of this tumor is needed in order to create new treatments and prognosis tools.
(Photo: www.pixabay.com) researchers have identified the function of VRK1 in neuroblastoma tumor cells and determined that the protein is essential for the growth and proliferation of tumor cells.
Francisco M. Vega said,
A study of the expression of this protein in tumors, we were able to determine that tumor progress in congenital patients would get worse, even in people where current tools cannot predict this behavior."
"s study shows that working with other cancer genes, such as MYCN, can greatly promote tumor development and make it more aggressive, such as MYCN, which is severely affected by the cancer.
, the researchers believe that inhibiting VRK1 may be a new strategy for the treatment of neuroblastoma cancer.
Vega explained: "VRK1 is a protein kinase.
this is some of the best targets for cancer treatment because we may find inhibitors in the lab that inhibit their activity.
" (Bioon.com) Source: VRK1: A protein that reduces the survival of patients with neuroblastoma Original source: Ana Colmenero-Repiso et al. Identification of VRK1 as a New Neuroblastoma Tumor Progression Marker Regulating Cell Proliferation, Cancers (2020). DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113465。