In the neuroblastoma cell lines, DTD expression and activity correlated with the type of cell line; S-type neuroblastoma cells had elevated expression and activity compared with their N-type counterparts, both within the MYCN non-amplified, p53 wild type expressing SH-EP1 and SH-SY5Y pair, and within the MYCN amplified, p53 deleted LA1-5S and LA1-55n pair. Here, MYCN is linked to neuroblastoma.