Dr. Schor's laboratory is involved in the design of neurochemical approaches to the therapy of neuroblastoma, the single most common solid tumor of childhood.
Many neuroblastoma cells have on their surfaces receptors for dopamine.
By utilizing oxygen radical-generating, cytotoxic dopamine analogues in concert with agents that selectively scavenge free radicals in normal neurons, an attempt is being made to effect specific toxicity to the neuroblastoma cells. By using thiol analogues of dopamine, an attempt is also being made to selectively increase the thiol content of these neural crest-derived cells to enhance cytotoxicity of other chemotherapeutic agents which depend upon the presence of thiols for their action. Also under study is the role of glutamine synthetase in the detoxication of glutamate formed during hypoxia-ischemia in the central nervous system. The roles of mitotic arrest and protein synthesis in induction of apoptosis and differentiation in neuroblastoma cells in culture. Brain Research .