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- Braekeveldt, Noémie, et al.
(author)
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Neuroblastoma patient-derived orthotopic xenografts reflect the microenvironmental hallmarks of aggressive patient tumours
- 2016
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In: Cancer Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-7980 .- 0304-3835. ; 375:2, s. 384-389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Treatment of high-risk childhood neuroblastoma is a clinical challenge hampered by a lack of reliable neuroblastoma mouse models for preclinical drug testing. We have previously established invasive and metastasising patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDXs) from high-risk neuroblastomas that retained the genotypes and phenotypes of patient tumours. Given the important role of the tumour microenvironment in tumour progression, metastasis, and treatment responses, here we analysed the tumour microenvironment of five neuroblastoma PDXs in detail. The PDXs resembled their parent tumours and retained important stromal hallmarks of aggressive lesions including rich blood and lymphatic vascularisation, pericyte coverage, high numbers of cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumour-associated macrophages, and extracellular matrix components. Patient-derived tumour endothelial cells occasionally formed blood vessels in PDXs; however, tumour stroma was, overall, of murine origin. Lymphoid cells and lymphatic endothelial cells were found in athymic nude mice but not in NSG mice; thus, the choice of mouse strain dictates tumour microenvironmental components. The murine tumour microenvironment of orthotopic neuroblastoma PDXs reflects important hallmarks of aggressive and metastatic clinical neuroblastomas. Neuroblastoma PDXs are clinically relevant models for preclinical drug testing.
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2. |
- Braekeveldt, Noémie, et al.
(author)
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Neuroblastoma Patient-Derived Orthotopic Xenografts Retain Metastatic Patterns and Geno- and Phenotypes of Patient Tumours.
- 2015
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 136:5, s. 252-261
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumour with heterogeneous characteristics and children with metastatic disease often have a poor outcome. Here we describe the establishment of neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) by orthotopic implantation of viably cryopreserved or fresh tumour explants of patients with high risk neuroblastoma into immunodeficient mice. In vivo tumour growth was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging and fluorodeoxyglucose - positron emission tomography. Neuroblastoma PDXs retained the undifferentiated histology and proliferative capacity of their corresponding patient tumours. The PDXs expressed neuroblastoma markers NCAM, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and tyrosine hydroxylase. Whole genome genotyping array analyses demonstrated that PDXs retained patient-specific chromosomal aberrations such as MYCN amplification, deletion of 1p, and gain of chromosome 17q. Thus, neuroblastoma PDXs recapitulate the hallmarks of high-risk neuroblastoma in patients. PDX-derived cells were cultured in serum-free medium where they formed free-floating neurospheres, expressed neuroblastoma gene markers MYCN, CHGA, TH, SYP and NPY, and retained tumour-initiating and metastatic capacity in vivo. PDXs showed much higher degree of infiltrative growth and distant metastasis as compared to neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)c cell line-derived orthotopic tumours. Importantly, the PDXs presented with bone marrow involvement, a clinical feature of aggressive neuroblastoma. Thus, neuroblastoma PDXs serve as clinically relevant models for studying and targeting high-risk metastatic neuroblastoma. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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3. |
- Tadeo, Irene, et al.
(author)
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Extracellular matrix composition defines an ultra-high-risk group of neuroblastoma within the high-risk patient cohort
- 2016
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In: British Journal of Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0007-0920 .- 1532-1827. ; 115:4, s. 480-489
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background:Although survival for neuroblastoma patients has dramatically improved in recent years, a substantial number of children in the high-risk subgroup still die.Methods:We aimed to define a subgroup of ultra-high-risk patients from within the high-risk cohort. We used advanced morphometric approaches to quantify and characterise blood vessels, reticulin fibre networks, collagen type I bundles, elastic fibres and glycosaminoglycans in 102 high-risk neuroblastomas specimens. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to correlate the analysed elements with survival.Results:The organisation of blood vessels and reticulin fibres in neuroblastic tumours defined an ultra-high-risk patient subgroup with 5-year survival rate <15%. Specifically, tumours with irregularly shaped blood vessels, large sinusoid-like vessels, smaller and tortuous venules and arterioles and with large areas of reticulin fibres forming large, crosslinking, branching and haphazardly arranged networks were linked to the ultra-high-risk phenotype.Conclusions:We demonstrate that quantification of tumour stroma components by morphometric techniques has the potential to improve risk stratification of neuroblastoma patients.
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