Eureka Alert!

07/07/2016

Great strides have been made in treating neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in infants and toddlers. However, advanced cases are often fatal, and children who survive often face life-long physical and intellectual challenges related to their treatment. A study led by researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, finds that a microRNA called let-7 plays a central role in curbing neuroblastoma and could focus efforts to find a targeted, nontoxic alternative to chemotherapy. 

Published by Nature (Advance Online) on July 6, the study unifies several theories about neuroblastoma and also has implications for other solid tumors in which let-7 is lost, such as Wilms tumor, lung, breat, ovarian and cervical cancers, says first author John Powers, PhD, of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children's Hospital. 

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