Targeting Autophagy in Thyroid Cancer: EMT, Apoptosis, and Cancer Stem Cells.
Tammy M Holm1,2, Syn Yeo2, Kevin M Turner1,2
1Department of Surgery, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|July 18, 2022
Summary
Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, supports thyroid cancer growth and metastasis. Inhibiting autophagy may enhance current thyroid cancer therapies and improve patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process crucial for maintaining homeostasis.
- In cancer, autophagy exhibits dual roles, aiding tumor survival under stress but also suppressing tumor initiation.
- Emerging evidence highlights autophagy's significant involvement in thyroid cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of autophagy's role in thyroid cancer.
- To explore the mechanisms by which autophagy inhibition can enhance thyroid cancer treatment.
- To provide a comprehensive overview for future therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on autophagy and thyroid cancer.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms linking autophagy to cancer stem cells (CSCs) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
- Examination of preclinical and clinical data on autophagy inhibitors in thyroid cancer models.
Main Results:
- Autophagy promotes thyroid cancer cell viability, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.
- It supports cancer stem cells and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, contributing to disease progression.
- Autophagy inhibition demonstrates potential to sensitize thyroid cancer cells to existing treatments.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy is a critical factor in thyroid cancer progression and therapeutic resistance.
- Targeting autophagy, particularly through inhibition, presents a promising strategy to improve thyroid cancer treatment efficacy.
- Further research into the sex disparity in thyroid cancer incidence and autophagy's role is warranted.
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