AUTHOR=Izumi Hideki , Kaneko Yasuhiko , Nakagawara Akira 

TITLE=The Role of MYCN in Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Cell Division of Human Neuroblastoma Cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.570815

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.570815

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Asymmetric cell division (ACD) is an important physiological event in the development of various organisms and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. ACD produces two different cells in a single cell division: a stem/progenitor cell and differentiated cell. Although the balance between self-renewal and differentiation is precisely controlled, disruptions to ACD and/or enhancements in the self-renewal division (symmetric cell division: SCD) of stem cells resulted in the formation of tumors in <italic>Drosophila</italic> neuroblasts. ACD is now regarded as one of the characteristics of human cancer stem cells, and is a driving force for cancer cell heterogeneity. We recently reported that MYCN controls the balance between SCD and ACD in human neuroblastoma cells. In this mini-review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying MYCN-mediated cell division fate.</p>