Developments in the biology of neuroblastoma: implications for diagnosis and treatment

There has been little improvement in the prognosis for neuroblastoma in childhood over recent years. The authors review recent investigations into the biology of the tumour and discuss their implications for diagnosis and therapy. Immunological studies suggest a heterogeneity in cell-surface antigens on different human neuroblastoma lines/fresh tumours. The reagents being developed against these antigens will play a rôle in the diagnosis of metastatic spread, and may be useful in autologous bone-marrow transplantation programmes. The occasional in vivo differentiation of the tumour is reviewed, with particular reference to in vitro studies on the differentiation of human and murine neuroblastoma cell-lines. This work may have implications for therapy if ways can be found to cause in vivo differentiation of the tumour into a benign ganglioneuroma.