CD44 Variant Expression in Follicular Cell-Derived Thyroid Cancers: Implications for Overcoming Multidrug Resistance

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Thyroid cancer (TC) presents global health challenges with varied outcomes.
• Low-resource settings face higher mortality due to delayed diagnosis and limited healthcare.
• Follicular cell-derived TC subtypes (PTC, FTC, ATC, PDTC) show heterogeneity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of CD44 variants in follicular cell-derived thyroid cancers.
• To explore CD44's influence on tumor progression and multidrug resistance (MDR).
• To highlight potential CD44-targeted therapeutic strategies for TC.

Main Methods:

• Literature review synthesizing existing knowledge on CD44 expression and function in TC.
• Analysis of CD44 variant roles in cell adhesion, migration, survival, and cancer stem cell (CSC) maintenance.
• Examination of CD44's contribution to MDR via specific molecular pathways.

Main Results:

• CD44 variants critically influence TC progression and MDR.
• Differential CD44 isoform expression has diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications.
• CD44v6 expression correlates with metastasis in PTC and aids differentiation in FTC.
• CD44 promotes MDR through drug efflux, apoptosis evasion, and CSC maintenance.

Conclusions:

• Targeting CD44, via antibodies or nanocarriers, shows promise for overcoming MDR in TC.
• Limited research exists on CD44-targeted therapies specifically for TC.
• Further investigation is needed to develop effective CD44-targeting strategies to improve TC patient outcomes, particularly in high-burden regions.