Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
05:39

Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Published on: February 3, 2023

Cellular signaling pathway alterations and potential targeted therapies for medullary thyroid carcinoma

Serena Giunti1, Alessandro Antonelli, Andrea Amorosi

  • 1Department of Pathology, Centro Oncologico Fiorentino, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Firenze, Italy.

International Journal of Endocrinology
|March 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Targeted therapies show promise for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) by inhibiting rearranged during transfection (RET) and other tyrosine kinases. New strategies targeting RAS/mTOR pathways offer hope for aggressive MTC.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) accounts for 3-4% of thyroid cancers.
  • Cytotoxic treatments offer limited efficacy for MTC.
  • Targeted therapies inhibiting rearranged during transfection (RET) and tyrosine kinases show promise for advanced MTC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy of targeted therapies in MTC.
  • To discuss the limitations of current tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).
  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies for aggressive MTC.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on MTC treatments.
  • Analysis of targeted therapies including multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., vandetanib, cabozantinib).
  • Investigation of signaling pathways like RAS/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and RET crosstalk.

Main Results:

  • Vandetanib and cabozantinib demonstrate advantages in disease response and control for MTC.
  • TKIs can inhibit multiple targets, complicating the understanding of specific roles like RET.
  • Drug resistance to TKIs can limit long-term treatment efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted therapies targeting RET and angiogenesis are effective for metastatic or locally advanced MTC.
  • Understanding and overcoming resistance mechanisms are crucial for improving TKI efficacy.
  • Deregulated RAS/mTOR pathways and RET crosstalk represent promising novel therapeutic targets for aggressive MTC.

More Related Videos

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice07:02

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice

Published on: August 23, 2019

An Orthotopic Mouse Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma07:01

An Orthotopic Mouse Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Published on: April 17, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted 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...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted 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...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens 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...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...