Gene expression profile, and role of baicalein in the inhibition of thyroid cancer.

IF 1.7 4区医学 Q4 ONCOLOGY

Translational cancer research Pub Date : 2026-03-31 Epub Date: 2026-02-26 DOI:10.21037/tcr-2025-aw-2437

Nan Wu, Qian Zhang, Muhammad Naeem, Ren Jing, Yuanbin Luo, Yang Wu, Shijian Yi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is the highly undifferentiated form of thyroid cancer, and its incidence is still high all around the globe. The current treatment for ATC includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radioactive iodine therapy. These treatment options are not reliable due to high cost, drug resistance, and toxicity issues. Baicalein (BA) is a natural flavonoid isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis that exhibits several pharmacological activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor. The role of BA in elucidating the mechanism of ATC, emphasizing the CLU-mediated mitophagy, remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the impact of BA on gene expression and cellular pathways in CAL62 ATC cells by CLU-mediated mitophagy.

Methods: Differential gene expression and pathway enrichment were assessed using RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Mitochondrial fluorescence and mitophagy markers (PINK1, PRKN, ATG5, MFN1) were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and fluorescence microscopy. CLU expression and its correlation with cancer progression were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data.

Results: BA treatment altered gene expression and pathway activity, impacting processes including cell proliferation, mitophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. It reduced the mitochondrial fluorescence intensity and mitophagy marker levels, consistent with an inhibition of mitophagy. BA also modulated thyroid cancer markers, indicating the induced dedifferentiation. TCGA analysis confirmed the CLU upregulation in thyroid cancer, linking it to disease progression and survival. BA inhibits ATC cell growth, an effect associated with the alteration of CLU-linked mitophagy and key signaling pathways.

Conclusions: These findings highlight that CLU as a potential therapeutic target and suggested BA as a promising strategy for thyroid cancer intervention.

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黄芩素基因表达谱及其在甲状腺癌抑制中的作用。

背景：间变性甲状腺癌（ATC）是一种高度未分化的甲状腺癌，其发病率在全球范围内仍然很高。目前ATC的治疗方法包括手术、化疗和放射性碘治疗。由于成本高、耐药和毒性问题，这些治疗方案并不可靠。黄芩素（Baicalein， BA）是从黄芩中分离得到的一种天然黄酮类化合物，具有抗癌、抗炎、抗氧化、抗肿瘤等药理活性。BA在阐明ATC机制中的作用，强调clu介导的有丝分裂，尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨BA通过clu介导的线粒体自噬对CAL62 ATC细胞基因表达和细胞通路的影响。方法：采用RNA测序和基因集富集分析（GSEA）评估差异基因表达和途径富集。采用定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）和荧光显微镜检测线粒体荧光和线粒体自噬标志物PINK1、PRKN、ATG5、MFN1。使用癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）数据分析CLU表达及其与癌症进展的相关性。结果：BA处理改变了基因表达和通路活性，影响细胞增殖、有丝分裂和上皮-间质转化等过程。它降低了线粒体荧光强度和线粒体自噬标记物水平，与线粒体自噬抑制一致。BA还调节甲状腺癌标志物，表明诱导去分化。TCGA分析证实了CLU在甲状腺癌中的上调，将其与疾病进展和生存联系起来。BA抑制ATC细胞的生长，这种作用与clu相关的有丝分裂和关键信号通路的改变有关。结论：这些发现强调了CLU作为潜在的治疗靶点，并建议BA作为一种有希望的甲状腺癌干预策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Translational cancer research ONCOLOGY-

CiteScore

2.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

252

期刊介绍： Translational Cancer Research (Transl Cancer Res TCR; Print ISSN: 2218-676X; Online ISSN 2219-6803; http://tcr.amegroups.com/) is an Open Access, peer-reviewed journal, indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). TCR publishes laboratory studies of novel therapeutic interventions as well as clinical trials which evaluate new treatment paradigms for cancer; results of novel research investigations which bridge the laboratory and clinical settings including risk assessment, cellular and molecular characterization, prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of human cancers with the overall goal of improving the clinical care of cancer patients. The focus of TCR is original, peer-reviewed, science-based research that successfully advances clinical medicine toward the goal of improving patients'' quality of life. The editors and an international advisory group of scientists and clinician-scientists as well as other experts will hold TCR articles to the high-quality standards. We accept Original Articles as well as Review Articles, Editorials and Brief Articles.