The Emerging Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Thyroid Cancer: Mediating Tumor Progression, Drug Resistance, and Reshaping of the Immune Microenvironment.

Abstract

As the hub of energy metabolism and the cell's fate arbiter, mitochondria are essential for preserving cellular homeostasis and converting it from pathological states. Therefore, through mechanisms that drive metabolic reprogramming, oxidative stress, and apoptosis resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction (including mitochondrial DNA mutations, mitochondrial dynamics imbalance, mitochondrial autophagy abnormalities, mitochondrial permeability abnormalities, and metabolic disorder) can promote the progression of thyroid cancer (TC), resistance to treatment, and reshaping of the immune microenvironment. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and characteristic manifestations of mitochondrial dysfunction in TC. It focuses on providing a summary of the main strategies currently used to target the mitochondria, such as dietary intervention and targeted medications like curcumin, as well as the clinical translational value of these medications when used in conjunction with current targeted therapies for TC and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy in patients with advanced or RAI-refractory TC who rely on targeted therapies. The application prospects and existing challenges of emerging therapeutic methods, such as mitochondrial transplantation, are also discussed in depth, aiming to provide new perspectives for revealing the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondrial dysfunction drives the progression of TC, drug resistance, and the reshaping of its immune microenvironment, as well as providing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with advanced or RAI-refractory TC who are reliant on targeted therapies.