Neuroblastoma and

Sympathetic, parasympathetic and sensory neurones, chromaffin, neuroblastoma and PC 12 cells (ganglionic nAChR, typically comprised of a3,a5,(32,(34 or al subunits)... 

Extrahypothalamic OX-B-like immunoreactivity, reminiscent to that of CRF, has been described in clustered GABAergic neuronal populations, in the lateral division of central nucleus ofthe amygdala, the bednucleus of the stria terminalis, and in the hippocampus. Moreover, ectopic expression of preproorexin mRNA in the gut, ependymal cells, neuroblastomas, and of orexin receptors in adrenal gland, cancer and hematopietic stem cells suggests yet unexplored roles of orexins as paracrine factors controlling blood-brain barrier, and tumor or stem cell function. 

Teniposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, is administered as an infusion over 30 to 60 minutes to prevent hypotension. The pharmacokinetics are described by a three-compartment model, with an a half-life of 0.75 hours, a (5 half-life of 4 hours, and a terminal half-life of 20 hours. Considerable variability in clearance of teniposide in children has been reported.17 Teniposide has shown activity in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia, neuroblastoma, and non-Hodgkin s lymphoma. Side effects include myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting, mucositis, and venous irritation. Hypersensitivity reactions may be life-threatening. 

As might be expected from a screen in which the target tumor was a soft tissue sarcoma, those tumors were among the most sensitive to the compound, along with ovarian tumors, mesotheliomas, melanomas, and lung carcinomas. Tumors least sensitive to this compound included pancreatic carcinomas, neuroblastomas, and especially, renal cell carcinomas. As a rule, for the seven classes of compounds identified in the screen, soft tissue sarcomas, ovarian carcinomas, and mesotheliomas were the most sensitive tumor types. 

This is an unusual drug in that it contains a metal atom, platinum (Pt) in this case. Cisplatin reacts with DNA to cross-link bases, disrupting normal DNA structure and function. This agent has found broad use in cancer chemotherapy, including efficacy in tumors of the testis, ovary, bladder, head and neck, thyroid, cervix, and endometrium. It is also active against neuroblastoma and osteogenic sarcoma. 

Cyclophosphamide is a component of CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) and other drug combinations used in the treatment of breast cancer. Cyclophosphamide in combination may produce complete remissions in some patients with ovarian cancer and oat cell (small cell) lung cancer. Other tumors in which benehcial results have been reported include non-oat cell lung cancers, various sarcomas, neuroblastoma, and carcinomas of the testes, cervix, and bladder. Cyclophosphamide also can be employed as an alternative to azathioprine in suppressing immunological rejection of transplant organs. 

Coco S, Defferrari R, Scaruffi P et al. Genome analysis and gene expression profiling of neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma reveal differences between neuroblastic and Schwannian stromal cells. J Pathol 2005 207-346-357. 

Yang, F., Sun, X., Beech, W., Teter, B., Wu, S., Sigel, J., Vinters, H. V., Frautschy, S. A., and Cole, G. M. 1998. Antibody to caspase-cleaved actin detects apoptosis in differentiated neuroblastoma and plaque-associated neurons and microglia in Alzheimer s disease. Am. J. Pathol. 152 379-389. 

Berdasco M, Ropero S, Setien F et al (2009) Epigenetic inactivation of the Sotos overgrowth syndrome gene histone methyltransferase NSD1 in human neuroblastoma and glioma. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106 21830-21835... 

Coleman CS, Rocetes JP, Park DJ, Wallick CJ, Wam-Cramer BJ, Michel K, Dudler R, Bachmann AS (2006) Syringolin A, a new plant elicitor from the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, inhibits the proliferation of neuroblastoma and ovarian cancer cells and induces apoptosis. Cell Prolif 39 599-609... 

Dalmau J, Graus F, Cheung NK, Rosenblum MK, Ho A, Canete A, et al. Major histocompatibility proteins, anti-Hu antibodies, and paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis in neuroblastoma and small cell lung cancer. Cancer 1995 75(1) 99—109. 

Ifosfamide is an alkylating agent belonging to the group of oxazaphosphorines. It is used to treat a variety of solid tumors in children, including rhabdomyosarcoma, soft tissue sarcomas, Wilms tumor, bone sarcomas, and neuroblastoma, and leukemias and lymphomas in adults. It is also sometimes used in combination with other drugs, such as doxorubicin or cisplatin and etoposide. 

A 12-year-old girl with neuroblastoma and normal renal function developed severe hypercalcemia while receiving isotretinoin 160 mg/m /day (61). Her hypercalcemia resolved with hydration, diuretic therapy, and temporary withdrawal of isotretinoin. Despite a dosage reduction to 80 mg/m /day, severe hypercalcemia recurred during the next treatment cycle. Further treatment with isotretinoin was made tolerable by shortening the duration of the remaining cycles. 

Urine creatinine is used to adjust the values of urinary biological indicators for example, creatinine measurements are necessary for correction of vanilmandelic and homovanillic acids, which indicate neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma, when excreted in urine in abnormally increased concentrations. Ratios of vanilmandelic and homovanillic acids to creatinine have been utilized as a diagnostic index of these diseases. 

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