The Role of Intracellular Calcium for the Development and Treatment of Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the second most common paediatric cancer. It develops from undifferentiated simpatico-adrenal lineage cells and is mostly sporadic; however, the aetiology behind the development of neuroblastoma is still not fully understood. Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+](i)) is a secondary messenger which regulates numerous cellular processes and, therefore, its concentration is tightly regulated. This review focuses on the role of [Ca2+](i) in differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation in neuroblastoma. It describes the mechanisms by which [Ca2+](i) is regulated and how it modulates intracellular pathways. Furthermore, the importance of [Ca2+](i) for the function of anti-cancer drugs is illuminated in this review as [Ca2+](i) could be a target to improve the outcome of anti-cancer treatment in neuroblastoma. Overall, modulations of [Ca2+](i) could be a key target to induce apoptosis in cancer cells leading to a more efficient and effective treatment of neuroblastoma.