Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
05:39
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Anaplastic thyroid cancer, tumorigenesis and therapy
J P O'Neill1, D Power, C Condron
1The Department of Otolaryngology, The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, The Education and Research Building, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Ireland. joneill@rcsi.ie
Irish Journal of Medical Science
|August 8, 2009
Summary
Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a deadly endocrine cancer with limited treatment options. New research into thyroid cancer development and spread offers hope for novel therapeutic strategies against this aggressive disease.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a highly aggressive endocrine malignancy with poor patient survival rates.
- Current therapeutic approaches for ATC have not significantly improved outcomes.
- Emerging understanding of thyroid tumorigenesis, dedifferentiation, and metastasis presents new avenues for treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in understanding thyroid tumorigenesis and anaplastic progression.
- To identify potential molecular targets for novel therapeutic interventions in ATC.
- To discuss the implications of new insights for future ATC treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of Medline and PubMed databases.
- Inclusion of all published reports on anaplastic thyroid cancer.
- Identification of secondary articles from reference lists of key publications.
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms of thyroid tumorigenesis and the progression to anaplasia over the past five years.
- Key molecular pathways driving post-malignant dedifferentiation and metastatic activity have been identified.
- New therapeutic strategies targeting these specific molecular mechanisms are being developed.
Conclusions:
- Continued research is crucial for identifying and developing targeted drug therapies for ATC.
- Counteracting molecular targets involved in dedifferentiation is essential to combat the fatal neoplastic phenotype.
- Advancements in understanding ATC pathogenesis pave the way for more effective treatments.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
01:27Hyperthyroidism II: Pathophysiology
Hyperthyroidism is a hypermetabolic state caused by elevated levels of thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). It results from dysregulation at the thyroid, pituitary, or immune system level and affects multiple organ systems.PathophysiologyThe most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies, specifically thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAb), a subtype of TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb), bind to and activate TSH receptors...
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
02:18Cancer
Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
02:07Tumor Progression
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...