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Updated: Aug 27, 2026
An Orthotopic Mouse Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: April 17, 2013
Antiangiogenic and antitumor effects of endostatin on follicular thyroid carcinoma
Caisheng Ye1, Chong Feng, Shenming Wang
1Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510075, China.
Abstract:
Tumor growth and metastasis depend on blood supply and blood vessel formation. Angiogenesis, therefore, represents a promising target for cancer therapy. Endostatin is one of the most potent antiangiogenic factors and has been shown to effectively inhibit angiogenesis and tumor growth in a variety of in vivo models. In this study, we tested the effects of endostatin on xenografted human follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) in nude mice. Our result demonstrated that recombinant endostatin significantly inhibited the growth of FTC xenografts. Furthermore, we established an endostatin-expressing FTC cell line (FTC-BmEndo) using retrovirus-mediated gene transfer approach. We found that the in vivo growth of FTC-BmEndo cells was significantly inhibited, compared with the parental FTC cells, whereas both lines grew at the same rate in vitro. High-level expression of endostatin within the FTC-BmEndo tumors was evidenced by immunohistochemical staining, paralleled with a reduced microvessel density. The systemic level of vascular endothelial growth factor was significantly lower in mice bearing the FTC-BmEndo tumors than in those bearing parental FTC tumors. By using two different approaches, namely the recombinant endostatin protein and the gene therapy strategy, our study demonstrated that endostatin could be effective in suppressing the growth of human FTC in immunodeficient mice.
Insights
Endostatin effectively inhibits human follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) growth in mice. Both recombinant protein and gene therapy approaches suppressed tumor growth by reducing blood vessel formation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Tumor growth and metastasis rely on angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation).
- Antiangiogenic factors, like endostatin, are promising cancer therapy targets.
- Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is a type of thyroid cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the anti-tumor effects of endostatin on human follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) xenografts in nude mice.
- To evaluate both recombinant endostatin protein and gene therapy strategies for FTC treatment.
Main Methods:
- Administered recombinant endostatin protein to mice with FTC xenografts.
- Developed an endostatin-expressing FTC cell line (FTC-BmEndo) via retrovirus-mediated gene transfer.
- Compared in vitro and in vivo growth of FTC-BmEndo cells with parental FTC cells.
- Assessed tumor microvessel density and systemic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels.
Main Results:
- Recombinant endostatin significantly inhibited FTC xenograft growth in vivo.
- FTC-BmEndo cells showed significantly inhibited in vivo growth compared to parental FTC cells, with similar in vitro growth rates.
- Immunohistochemical staining confirmed high endostatin expression in FTC-BmEndo tumors, correlating with reduced microvessel density.
- Mice bearing FTC-BmEndo tumors exhibited significantly lower systemic VEGF levels.
Conclusions:
- Endostatin demonstrates significant efficacy in suppressing human FTC growth in immunodeficient mice.
- Both recombinant endostatin protein administration and endostatin gene therapy are viable strategies for inhibiting FTC.
- Endostatin's antiangiogenic properties contribute to its tumor-suppressive effects in FTC.
