Influence of Ewing tumor-specific genes for the chondro-osseous phenotype and localization of this malignancy

Ewing Tumors (ET) are highly malignant, localized in bone or soft tissue and are molecularly defined by ews/ets translocations. Our DNA microarray analysis revealed a relationship of ET to both endothelium and fetal neural crest but also identified several genes presumably important for chondro-osseous phenotype and differentiation of this tumor. Such genes are down-regulated by RNA interference in ET cell lines and their differentiation potential is investigated. Subsequently, ET lines with stable down-regulation of such genes generated by retroviral gene transfer of specific shRNA were established. Osseous tro…