Keywords:
Animal models of molecular mechanisms related to the onset and progression of childhood neuroblastoma, autism spectrum diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.
Drosophila melanogaster
N-MYC ONCOGENE
Multidrug Resistence Protein (MRP1/ABCC1)
Genetic interaction and in vivo studies
Antileukemic drugs
1) In vivo study, using the genetic model of Drosophila melanogaster, of the effect on the balance of cell proliferation and differentiation of an altered ratio between the expression levels of MYC and MAX factors as a possible condition that favors the onset of childhood neuroblastoma.
2) Study in Drososphila of the genetic interaction between variations in the expression of the cell cycle regulator E2F1 and of the transcription factor MYC in the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation as a possible mechanism of poor prognosis of childhood neuroblastoma.
3) Study in Drosophila of the physiological role of the gene encoding the Multidrug Resistence Protein (MRP) whose human counterpart (ABCC1 / MRP1) is not only involved in known phenomena of chemoresistance to anticancer therapies but whose overexpression is a prognostic factor of worsening of childhood neuroblastoma related to cell mobility and therefore to tumor metastasis.
4) Study in Drosophila of the physiological role of the MRP protein in the development and differentiation of the central nervous system as an in vivo model to understand the cellular basis of the correlation between altered expression of the human ABCC1 / MRP1 gene and the onset of Autism Spectrum Diseases.
