Extracellular Matrix Topography Drives Adrenergic to Mesenchymal Transition in Neuroblastoma.

ABSTRACT: Neuroblastoma (NB), the most common extracranial solid tumor in children, exhibits intra-tumoral heterogeneity with two interconvertible identities: adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES). Compared to ADRN cells, MES cells exhibit phenotypes associated with metastasis and therapy resistance. Thus, the transition from ADRN to MES may contribute to poor clinical outcomes, necessitating further investigation into this ADRN-to-MES transition (AMT) to improve clinical responses. The extracellular matrix (ECM), a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), provides structural support and delivers mechanical signals that influence oncogenic processes. This research demonstrates that high-risk NB tumors contain more topographically aligned ECM fibers than low-risk NB tumors. Using nan

SUBMITTER: Chronopoulos A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12942374 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature