THE INFLUENCE OF THE MYCN GENE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND METASTASIS OF NEUROBLASTOMA: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common childhood cancers and is closely linked to gene regulation, with the MYCN gene being one of the main factors implicated in its aggressiveness and progression. This article aimed to review the available evidence in the literature regarding the influence of the MYCN gene on the development of NB and the possible promotion of metastasis. An integrative review was conducted using the National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health (PUBMED), Scielo, and Nature databases, with subsequent filtering based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. As a result, the publications revealed correlations between MYCN gene mutations in NB patients and the promotion of tumorigenesis, which consequently favors metastasis when determinants of gene replication, such as miRNA expression, are altered. There are important results indicating that a MYCN mutation may be capable of developing a worse prognosis for NB cases. Therefore, the use of biomarkers and therapeutic strategies targeting MYCN is an option that deserves consideration, but still requires further study.

Keywords: Tumorigenesis. Micro-RNAs. Epigenetics.