[Signal cascade involved in proliferation and differentiation of normal and neoplastic thyroid cells]

Our work aims at defining in molecular terms the steps involved in the control of proliferation of normal thyroid cells and in the perversion of this process in thyroid tumors (hyperfunctioning autonomous adenomas, sporadic and post-Chernobyl papillary cancers). Our strategy has been to define such steps by gene expression analysis using different methodologies: we have first studied in vitro primary cultures of thyroid cells by differential screening, macroarray and differential PCR (CDNA AFLP-TP), and secondly thyroid tumors by microarray. The latter technology proved by far to be more powerful. We have implemented the biochemical and bioinformatical tools for this methodology and applied it to hyperfunctioning autonomous adenomas and to sporadic and post-Chernobyl papillary carcinomas. We are now investigating in depth genes whose regulation is altered in these tumors.