Mechanisms involved in selecting and maintaining neuroblastoma cancer stem cell populations, and perspectives for therapeutic targeting

Figure 3 Genetic alterations that characterise neuroblastomas: Illustration of some of the genetic alterations, N-Myc amplification, anaplastic lymphoma kinase amplification and mutation, alternative TrkAIII splicing, p53 functional repression; chromosome 1p36 and 11q deletions; chromosome 17q gains; chromosome 5p rearrangements; mutations in PHOX2B and PTEN and brain derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase B activation, involved in neuroblastoma formation from trunk neural crest cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage, at sympathetic chain and adrenal medulla target sites, with the differentiated cell types that form from multipotent trunk neural crest cells. NC: Neural crest; ALK: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase.