HAND2 and neuroblastoma: In fact, our study demonstrated that ASCL1 can positively regulate CRC genes that are expressed in neuronal progenitor cells such as PHOX2B and HAND2 and also negatively regulates genes expressed in more differentiated cells such as NTRK1 and NPY. Thus, high levels of ASCL1 expression, along with LMO1 and MYCN, helps to mediate a differentiation arrest at the neural progenitor stage, which is an essential component of childhood neuroblastoma.