Investigating novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer stem cells in neuroblastoma

Cancer stem cells present a huge clinical problem in cancer relapse due to their stem cell-like characteristics including enhanced self-renewal, migration, and resistance to chemotherapy.

 Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects neonates and young children. Despite the relatively rare occurrence of this cancer, it still represents the most common cancer in children under the age of five years with a poor prognosis due to a lack of understanding in regards to the cellular mechanisms.

 This project aims to investigate the stem cell-like properties of neuroblastoma cell-lines that will potentially lead to the uncovering of novel therapeutic targets.

 The project will provide training in a wide range of cell, molecular biology and analytical techniques, including but not limited to cell culture, confocal microscopy, PCR, pharmacodynamics, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence.