Cancer cells in mice converted into healthy cells

A team from the Karolinska Institute and Lund University (Sweden) has successfully converted the cells of a highly aggressive tumor, neuroblastoma, into healthy cells. This represents an innovative approach to treating this aggressive type of childhood cancer that affects the nervous system and is one of the leading causes of cancer death in young children.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), demonstrates that the combination of two antioxidant enzyme inhibitors can transform tumor cells into healthy neurons, reducing cancer growth in preclinical models.

"Children who survive neuroblastoma often face severe cognitive impairment due to intensive treatments. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new, more effective and less toxic therapies," explains Marie Arsenian Henriksson of the Karolinska Institute.

Currently, one of the strategies used in the treatment of neuroblastoma is differentiation therapy, which attempts to mature cancer cells into normal cells. However, retinoic acid, a common drug in this type of therapy, does not work in all patients, and many develop resistance.

The Swedish research team has found that by inhibiting the enzymes PRDX6 and GSTP1 , responsible for protecting cancer cells from oxidative stress, it is possible to induce the maturation of these cells into functional neurons.

"In our experiments, we observed that while some tumor cells died, others transformed into active, healthy neurons, which interrupts tumor development," highlights Judit Liaño-Pons , a researcher at the same institute.

The next step will be to test this therapeutic strategy in pediatric clinical trials . One of the inhibitors has already been designated as an orphan drug by the US FDA for the treatment of another type of cancer in adults, which strengthens its potential as a treatment for children.

This breakthrough represents real hope for improving both the survival and quality of life of younger patients with advanced neuroblastoma.