IGF and POMC neuropeptides expression by neuroectodermal tumours

During the last few decades many tumours have become available in tissue culture from different stages of progression and differentiation, including normal precursors and early malignant cells, enabling the delineation of the biological characteristics of the cells. These cells exhibit large differences in growth requirements, from complex media, such as serum, to defined conditioned media. Among the several growth factors identified so far, herein we shall attempt to outline two neuropeptides circuits, i.e. insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and their role in the proliferation of neuroectodermal tumours.