Measurement of 3-O-methyldopa from dried plasma microsamples by high-resolution mass spectrometry: A tool for the diagnosis of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Background: Risk assessment at diagnosis is crucial for neuroblastoma (NB) in order to address patients at high-risk to the most timely and appropriate treatments. 3-O-methyldopa (3-OMD), a direct metabolite of L-Dopa, is a promising biomarker of NB at diagnosis able to stratify high-risk patients.

Methods: We show the development and validation of a method for measuring 3-OMD from dried plasma samples (DPS) and plasma using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) on a Thermo Fisher Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 120.

From the identification of actionable molecular targets to the generation of faithful neuroblastoma patient-derived preclinical models.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) represents the most frequent and aggressive form of extracranial solid tumor of infants. Although the overall survival of patients with NB has improved in the last years, more than 50% of high-risk patients still undergo a relapse. Thus, in the era of precision/personalized medicine, the need for high-risk NB patient-specific therapies is urgent.

Neuroblastoma is associated with alterations in gut microbiome composition subsequent to maternal microbial seeding.

Background: Neuroblastoma is the most frequent extracranial solid tumour in children, accounting for ∼15% of deaths due to cancer in childhood. The most common clinical presentation are abdominal tumours. An altered gut microbiome composition has been linked to multiple cancer types, and reported in murine models of neuroblastoma.

Reaching the target dose with one single I-mIBG administration in high-risk neuroblastoma: The determinant impact of the primary tumour.

Background: I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ( I-mIBG) effectiveness in children with metastasised neuroblastoma (NB) is linked to the effective dose absorbed by the target; a target of 4 Gy whole-body dose threshold has been proposed. Achieving this dose often requires administering I-mIBG twice back-to-back, which may cause haematological toxicity. In this study, we tried identifying the factors predicting the achievement of 4 Gy whole-body dose with a single radiopharmaceutical administration.

Plasma-Derived Exosome Proteins as Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Neuroblastoma Patients.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor during infancy, causing up to 10% of mortality in children; thus, identifying novel early and accurate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is mandatory. NB-derived exosomes carry proteins (Exo-prots) reflecting the status of the tumor cell of origin. The purpose of this study was to characterize, for the first time, the Exo-prots specifically expressed in NB patients associated with tumor phenotype and disease stage.