Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41437160›Full record

ArticleEMBO molecular medicine2026

Repurposing statins and phenothiazines to treat chemoresistant neuroblastoma.

Katarzyna Radke, Kristina Aaltonen, Erick A Muciño-Olmos, Javanshir Esfandyari, Aleksandra Adamska, Joachim T Siaw, Dora Adamic, Chiara Lago, Adriana Mañas, Alexandra Seger and 16 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EMBO molecular medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

26 authors.

Katarzyna RadkeTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-4460-0812
Kristina AaltonenTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Erick A Muciño-OlmosTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Javanshir EsfandyariTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Aleksandra AdamskaTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Joachim T SiawTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1286-4485
Dora AdamicTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0003-5487-5590
Chiara LagoTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1317-7847
Adriana MañasTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Alexandra SegerTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Karin HanssonTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6993-7673
Oksana RogovaDepartment of Chemistry, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-5104-2943
Sophie LehnTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0219-8551
Daniel J MasonHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.
Daniel J O'DonovanHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.ORCID 0009-0008-1901-4556
Ian RobertsHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.ORCID 0009-0006-7736-762X
Antonia LockHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1179-5999
Jane BrennanHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3222-5485
Kristian PietrasTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6738-4705
Emma J DaviesHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.ORCID 0009-0007-7900-6913
Peter SpégelDepartment of Chemistry, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Oscar C Bedoya-ReinaSchool of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
David BrownHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.
Neil T ThompsonHealx Ltd., Charter House, 66-68 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LA, UK.
Cesare SpadoniaPODD Foundation, Virginia Cottage, Bridgnorth Road, Stourton, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY7 5BQ, UK.
Daniel BexellTranslational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. daniel.bexell@med.lu.se.ORCID 0000-0001-9426-9550

Funding

Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation) PR2020-0018Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation) PR2021-0129Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation) PR2023-0006Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation) TJ2021-0068Barncancerfonden (Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation) TJ2021-0137Cancerfonden (Swedish Cancer Society) 20 0897 PjFCancerfonden (Swedish Cancer Society) 23 2754 PjCrafoordska Stiftelsen (The Crafoord Foundation) 20210593Karolinska Institutet (KI) 2022-01925Kungliga Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund (Royal Physiographic Society in Lund) 41984Kungliga Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund (Royal Physiographic Society in Lund) 42964Vetenskapsrådet (VR) 2021-02597Vetenskapsrådet (VR) 2023-02402
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Relapse and treatment resistance are common in children with high-risk neuroblastoma, and novel therapies are needed. Conventional drug discovery is slow, expensive, often fails in practice, and consequently falls short in addressing pediatric and rare conditions. In such instances, drug repurposing is a promising strategy. Here, we used two independent in silico prediction tools including machine learning to identify approved drugs for repurposing against neuroblastoma. The combination of statins and phenothiazines showed strong synergistic effects in human neuroblastoma organoids, decreased tumor growth, and prolonged survival in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts. The drug combination altered cholesterol metabolism through two different mechanisms and induced a phenotypic change toward an adrenergic state in vitro, which was associated with enhanced chemosensitivity. Integration of the drug combination into standard-of-care chemotherapy regressed tumors and prolonged survival in chemoresistant patient-derived xenografts. Thus, a combination of safe and approved medications added to standard-of-care chemotherapy outperforms chemotherapy alone in chemoresistant neuroblastoma.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsDrug RepositioningDrug Resistance, NeoplasmHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsNeuroblastomaPhenothiazinesAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalDrug SynergismHumansMiceXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysAntineoplastic AgentsHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsPhenothiazinesDrug RepurposingMachine LearningNeuroblastomaPhenothiazineStatin

Identifiers

PMID41437160
PMCPMC12905276

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.