Kruppel-like factor 4 suppresses neuroblastoma growth by promoting smooth-muscle differentiation

Abstract

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic tumor and possesses a unique propensity to exhibit either a spontaneous regression or an unrestrained growth. Growing evidence suggests that NB comprises heterogeneous populations of improperly differentiated neural crest cells and a small subset of NB cells behaves as stem cells. Commitment of NB stem cells to the fibromuscular lineage may give a favorable outcome, while to the neuronal lineage results in a malignant tumor progression. Kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4) is one of the key reprogramming factors. Intriguingly, it also possesses paradoxical functions in cancers, either as an oncogene or tumor suppressor dependent of cell context. In this study, we elucidated the roles of KLF4 in the lineage determination of NB stem cells and tumor progression. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that loss of KLF4 expression ...