Genetic Evaluation of Ontologically Related Neural Crest Tumors

During the last decade, advances in cell biology have provided important insights and research techniques which neurobiologists have successfully exploited to enhance our understanding of neuronal cell differentiation and function. These studies have led to the characterization of neuronal cell surface markers, biochemical profiles, and unique ultra-structural features that have set the stage for genetic studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant behavior of tumors of closely related tissues arising from the embryonic neural crest. The neuronal tumors of this group present a unique opportunity for the elucidation of events critical in tumor development since they arise in a tissue considered to be terminally differentiated and thus composed of non-dividing cells.