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Updated: Aug 16, 2025
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Ouabain Effects on Human Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma 8505C Cells
Mariana Pires Teixeira1,2,3,4, Natalia Ferreira Haddad4,5, Eliza Freitas Passos5
1Laboratório de Imunorregulação, Departamento de Imunobiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24210-201, Brazil.
Abstract:
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare, but aggressive, carcinoma derived from follicular cells. While conventional treatments may improve patients' survival, the lethality remains high. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective ATC treatments. Cardiotonic steroids, such as ouabain, have been shown to have therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. Thus, we aimed to evaluate ouabain's effects in human anaplastic thyroid cells. For this, 8505C cells were cultured in the presence or absence of ouabain. Viability, cell death, cell cycle, colony formation and migratory ability were evaluated in ouabain-treated and control 8505C cells. The expression of differentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, as well as IL-6, TGFb1 and their respective receptors were also quantified in these same cells. Our results showed that ouabain in vitro decreased the number of viable 8505C cells, possibly due to an inhibition of proliferation. A reduction in migration was also observed in ouabain-treated 8505C cells. In contrast, decreased mRNA levels of PAX8 and TTF1 differentiation markers and increased levels of the N-cadherin EMT marker, as well as IL-6 and TGFb1, were found in ouabain-treated 8505C cells. In short, ouabain may have anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effect on 8505C cells, but maintains an aggressive and undifferentiated profile.
Insights
Ouabain may inhibit anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cell proliferation and migration. However, this cardiotonic steroid treatment did not alter the aggressive, undifferentiated profile of these aggressive thyroid cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive thyroid cancer with high mortality.
- Current treatments offer limited efficacy, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Cardiotonic steroids, like ouabain, show promise as anti-cancer agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the therapeutic potential of ouabain in human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cells.
- To evaluate the effects of ouabain on 8505C cell viability, proliferation, and migration.
- To assess ouabain's impact on differentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in ATC cells.
Main Methods:
- Human 8505C anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells were cultured with or without ouabain.
- Assessed cell viability, death, cell cycle, colony formation, and migratory ability.
- Quantified mRNA expression of differentiation markers (PAX8, TTF1), EMT markers (N-cadherin), and related signaling molecules (IL-6, TGFb1).
Main Results:
- Ouabain treatment reduced the viability and proliferation of 8505C cells in vitro.
- A significant decrease in cell migration was observed in ouabain-treated cells.
- Ouabain decreased differentiation markers (PAX8, TTF1) and increased EMT marker (N-cadherin) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TGFb1) mRNA levels.
Conclusions:
- Ouabain exhibits anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects on anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells.
- Despite these effects, ouabain treatment did not reverse the undifferentiated and aggressive phenotype of ATC cells.
- Further research is needed to explore ouabain's complex role in ATC treatment.
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