Gene Analysis of Cancer Stem Cells in Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

<i>Objective </i>Recurrence and drug resistance in different thyroid cancer in the clinic are associated with tumor stem cells. To investigate the differences in transcript levels of tumor stem cell-associated genes in different thyroid cancer cell lines and their correlation with tumor pathways for identifing factors affecting thyroid cancer progression. <i>Methods </i>Wound healing assay was performed to analyze cell migration; to compare the transcript levels of tumor stem cell related genes CD133, OCT4, ABCG2, ALDH2, Nanog, CD44, CD24, EMT and thyroid specific genes in different thyroid cancer cell lines; to analyze the correlation between the above genes and tumor pathways and the correlation between genes using R software GSVA package combined with TCGA database. <i>Results</i> Wound healing results showed that thyroid cancer cell lines TPC-1 and ATC healed faster than normal cells. qPCR showed significantly different expression of EGFR, CD44, CD24 and ABCG2 in ATC and TPC-1 compared to Nthy-ori 3-1. EGFR and ABCG2 were highly expressed in ATC cell lines, while CD24 gene was highly expressed in TPC -1; TTF2 was significantly low expressed in both ATC and TPC-1 cell lines. Correlation analysis showed that ABCG2 and OCT4 were negatively correlated with inflammatory response, ALDH2 with P53 signaling pathway, CD24 with ECM degradation and P53 signaling pathway, Nanog with MYC target gene pathway, and CD44 with reactive oxygen species (ROS) gene upregulation in thyroid cancer; EGFR was positively correlated with TGFB signaling pathway. The genes ALDH2, ABCG2 and CD44 were significantly and positively correlated with TPO and TG. <i>Conclusion </i>The transcriptional levels of tumor stem cell genes differed greatly among different types of thyroid cancer and were significantly associated with tumor signaling pathways. It may be related to signaling pathways that exacerbate the development of thyroid cancer.