BDNF and neuroblastoma: In neuroblastoma tumors, overexpression of survival factors and/or their receptors (that is, BDNF, TrK-B, IGF-1R) were detected, which could regulate the apoptotic process whether p53-dependent or not.18, 24, 25 However, only few studies examined growth factor anti-apoptotic activities in neuroblastoma cell lines.