Description
The RET gene has been identified previously as a target of activated ALK at the mRNA level in both human neuroblastoma cell lines and primary tumors as well as in murine tumors driven by mutated Alk and MYCN. Moreover, it has been shown that tumor growth of murine TH-MYCN/KI Alkmut tumors was impaired upon Ret inhibition by the vandetanib inhibitor, suggesting RET as a therapeutic target in ALK mutated neuroblastoma. To further demonstrate the crucial role of RET in ALK mutated driven neuroblastoma oncogenesis, transgenic TH-MYCN mice were bred with KI RetM919T tumors. We document an oncogenic cooperation between activated Ret and MYCN overexpression in neuroblastoma formation.