Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology

Wojciech Poluha

Alonzo H Ross

Dorota K Poluha

Mahesh B Lachyankar

Patrizia LoPresti

Disclosed is a method of reducing or inhibiting the tumorigenicity of a tumor cell in which a vector including a nucleotide sequence encoding a differentiation factor receptor, or a polypeptide portion thereof, is transferred to the tumor cell such that the nucleotide sequence is expressed. Tumorigenicity is monitored by cell growth and colony formation in a semi-soft medium, a reduction in proliferation being indicative of the reduction or inhibition of tumorigenicity of the treated tumor cell.

Identification of differentiation factor receptors which inhibit the

Disclosed are methods and compositions for treating neuroblastoma cells. The methods include contacting the neuroblastoma cells with a neurotrophic factor and less than a lethal dose of an inhibitor of cell proliferation for about 1 to 15 days, and then maintaining the neuroblastoma cells in contact with the neurotrophic factor for an additional 1 to 15 days. The composition includes a neurotrophic factor such as the neurotropin, nerve growth factor, and an inhibitor of cell proliferation such as aphidicolin, thymidine, or hydroxyurea. Also disclosed are methods for inducing the remission or differentiation of, or eliminating, neuroblastoma cells.

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Wojciech Poluha