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. 1989 Jun;59(6):889–894. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1989.188

N-myc gene expression and oncoprotein characterisation in medulloblastoma.

J A Garson 1, L F Pemberton 1, P W Sheppard 1, I M Varndell 1, H B Coakham 1, J T Kemshead 1
PMCID: PMC2246721  PMID: 2736225

Abstract

Although medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma share many common biological, histological and immunological features, the frequency of N-myc amplification differs markedly between the two tumours. In this study, Southern blot analysis revealed that the N-myc gene was not amplified in any of the nine medulloblastoma samples analysed. In contrast, over-expression of the gene was found in six of 11 samples as determined by immunocytochemistry and/or Western blot analysis, using an antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide representing a sequence unique to the N-myc gene product. The specificity of this reagent was demonstrated by studies on a variety of cell lines expressing N-myc and/or c-myc oncoproteins. Of the 12 medulloblastoma samples collected over a two-year period and analysed in the course of this project, a trend towards longer disease-free survival was noted in the patients having low levels of the N-myc protein in their tumour.

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