Telomerase Is a Prognostic Marker of Poor Outcome and a Therapeutic Target in Neuroblastoma.

Telomere maintenance is a hallmark of high-risk neuroblastoma; however, the contribution of telomerase and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to clinical phenotypes has remained unclear. We aimed to determine the clinical relevance of telomerase activation versus ALT as biomarkers in pretreatment neuroblastoma and to assess the potential value of telomerase as a therapeutic target. The genomic status of We detected Our data suggest telomerase activation and ALT define distinct neuroblastoma subgroups with adverse outcome and that telomerase may represent a promising therapeutic target in many high-risk neuroblastomas.