BACKGROUND The MYC oncogenes contribute to more than 50% of all human cancers, but their therapeutic targeting has proven challenging. MYC/MYCN amplification in childhood medulloblastoma (MB) and neuroblastoma (NB) determine aggressive disease and high mortality, underlying the need for novel and effective therapies. MYC-driven transformation is energy demanding and impairs cell survival under nutrient deprivation (ND), a characteristic stress condition within the tumor microenvironment. We recently identified eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) as a pivotal mediator of the adaptive response of tumor cells to ND. We therefore hypothesized that eEF2K facilitates the adaptation of MYC/MYCN amplified MB/NB to ND, and that inhibiting this pathway can impair tumor progression.