Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39808065›Full record

ArticleCancer research2025

Comparative Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human Neuroblastoma and Preclinical Models Reveals Conservation of an Adrenergic Cell State.

Bethel Tesfai Embaie, Hirak Sarkar, Adele M Alchahin, Jörg Otte, Thale Kristin Olsen, Conny Tümmler, Polina Kameneva, Artem V Artemov, Natalia Akkuratova, Igor Adameyko and 7 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Bethel Tesfai Embaie *Division of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7081-5032
Hirak Sarkar *Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID 0000-0003-3636-7384
Adele M AlchahinDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0007-1792-0355
Jörg OtteDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0007-4616-1757
Thale Kristin OlsenDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-4655-7384
Conny TümmlerDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-5530-4752
Polina KamenevaSt.Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-5513-8221
Artem V ArtemovDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-0056-4549
Natalia AkkuratovaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6733-8119
Igor AdameykoDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5471-0356
Jan-Bernd StukenborgDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2839-1870
Malin WickströmDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5214-9956
Per KognerDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2202-9694
John Inge JohnsenDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1277-812X
Shenglin MeiDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID 0000-0001-8258-5898
Peter V KharchenkoDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID 0000-0002-6036-5875
Ninib BaryawnoDivision of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6054-4163

Funding

Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation)Cancerfonden (Swedish Cancer Society)Karolinska Institutet (KI)Radiumhemmets Forskningsfonder (Cancer Research Foundations of Radiumhemmet)Vetenskapsrådet (VR)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transgenic mice and organoid models, such as three-dimensional tumoroid cultures, have emerged as powerful tools for investigating cancer development and targeted therapies. Yet, the extent to which these preclinical models recapitulate the cellular identity of heterogeneous malignancies, like neuroblastoma, remains to be validated. In this study, we characterized the transcriptional landscape of TH-MYCN tumors by single-cell RNA sequencing and developed ex vivo tumoroids. Integrated analysis with murine fetal adrenal samples confirmed that both TH-MYCN tumors and tumoroids closely mirror the cellular profiles of normal embryonic sympathoblasts and chromaffin cells. Comprehensive comparison between tumors from patients with neuroblastoma and TH-MYCN mice demonstrated similarities in adrenergic tumor cell composition. Ex vivo tumoroid cultures displayed histologic resemblance and shared transcriptional profiles with the originating TH-MYCN tumors and human neuroblastoma tumors. Importantly, subpopulations within tumoroids exhibited gene expression associated with poor survival of patients with neuroblastoma. Notably, recurrent observations of a low-proliferative chromaffin phenotype connected to the highly proliferative sympathetic phenotype suggested that pushing sympathoblasts into a chromaffin-like state may offer an interesting therapeutic strategy for neuroblastoma. Together, this study not only deepens our understanding of a widely used transgenic mouse neuroblastoma model but also introduces an ex vivo model that maintains critical adrenergic cell state identity, thereby enhancing its translational potential for neuroblastoma research. Significance: Transgenic mouse models and ex vivo tumoroids, characterized through single-cell RNA sequencing, faithfully recapitulate neuroblastoma cellular identity, offering a useful platform for investigating potential therapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

NeuroblastomaSingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeAnimalsChromaffin CellsDisease Models, AnimalGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceMice, TransgenicOrganoids

Identifiers

PMID39808065
PMCPMC11907193

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.