Tumor biology and oncogenesis of neuroblastoma - Institut Curie
Our team’s research focuses on neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer arising in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, a tissue derived from neural crest cells.
This page describes the research activities of the Children’s Oncology Research Unit (CONCERT) at Institut Curie, focusing on the biology, genetics, and immunology of neuroblastoma. The team led by Isabelle Janoueix‑Lerosey has identified actionable mutations in the ALK gene, studied the interplay between ALK mutations and MYCN over‑expression, mapped noradrenergic versus mesenchymal cell identities, and investigated tumor‑microenvironment interactions. Recent work includes single‑cell transcriptomics of neuroblastoma patient samples, evidence that combined TIGIT/PD‑L1 blockade reduces tumour growth in preclinical models, and the development of mouse models to study ALK and MYCN oncogenic cooperation.
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour in childhood and accounts for 15 % of cancer‑related deaths in children. Understanding its biology and developing targeted or immune‑based therapies are essential to improve survival in high‑risk cases, which currently remain below 40 %. The work by CONCERT contributes to identifying actionable genetic lesions (e.g., ALK mutations), defining cell‑state plasticity, and testing novel immunotherapeutic strategies that could translate into clinical benefits for young patients.
Evidence level: Számítógépes vagy elméleti. Modellből vagy adatbányászatból származó jel.
Related signals
- Targeted immunotherapies for anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive pediatric tumors: current advances and future perspectives
- Coexpression of MYCN and ALK Induces Neuroblastoma-Like Tumors From Human iPS Cell-Derived Cranial Neural Crest Cells.
- Frequency and Clinical Significance of Clonal and Subclonal Driver Mutations in High‑Risk Neuroblastoma at Diagnosis: A Children's Oncology Group Study
- Treatment and Survival of Childhood Neuroblastoma: Evidence from a Population-Based Study in the United States
- Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life of High-Risk Neuroblastoma Patients Treated with a Multimodal Treatment Including Anti-GD2 Immunotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study