Purpose: The combination of temozolomide and irinotecan has preclinical schedule-dependent synergy against neuroblastoma but is not curative for relapsed high-risk patients. We hypothesized that the DNA repair protein methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is an important resistance factor, and that inactivation of MGMT would sensitize neuroblastoma cells to these agents. Experimental Design: MGMT protein expression was assessed in 74 primary neuroblastoma tumors. Growth inhibition assays were done to determine the IC 50 and the extent of synergy observed with various concentrations of temozolomide, irinotecan, and the MGMT-inactivating agent O 6 -benzylguanine, using cultured syngeneic neuroblastoma cells with either low or high levels of MGMT expression. We then assessed efficacy in a mouse xenograft model of metastatic neuroblastoma. Results: MGMT was expressed by all 74 tumors evaluated. Pretreatment of neuroblastoma cells with O 6 -benzylguanine reduced the IC 50 of temozolomide by 10-fold regardless of level of MGMT expression, and pretreatment with BG followed by temozolomide + irinotecan further reduced the IC 50 in cells with high MGMT expression another 10-fold, to well below clinically achievable concentrations.The combination index was 0.27 to 0.30 for all three drugs in both cell lines, indicating strong synergy. Survival at 100 days for mice with metastatic neuroblastoma was 56% with three-drug treatment, compared with untreated controls (0%, P < 0.001) or temozolomide + irinotecan (10%, P = 0.081). Conclusions: MGMT is widely expressed in primary neuroblastoma tumors, and is a relevant therapeutic target. Both in vitro and in vivo studies suggest inactivation of MGMT with O 6 -benzylguanine may increase the activity of temozolomide and irinotecan against neuroblastoma.Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, and accounts for 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths. Fewer than half of all children diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma will survive 5 years after diagnosis (1). The identification of new active agents or drug combinations is essential to improving the prognosis for these patients. One potentially promising regimen is the combination of the DNA methylating agent temozolomide with the topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan. Both drugs have single-agent activity against neuroblastoma (2, 3), and preclinical studies have shown that administration of TEM followed by IRN results in schedule-dependent synergy against mouse models of this disease (4). Based on encouraging preliminary reports of this combination in children with relapsed solid tumors (5 -7), the Children's Oncology Group is now conducting a national phase II trial of this drug pair to define its activity for neuroblastoma in first relapse. It is unlikely, however, that this two-drug combination will be curative for the majority of patients with high-risk disease at relapse due to drug resistance.One recognized mechanism of TEM resistance is a high level of expression of methylguanine-DNA m...