Abstract
The global incidence of thyroid cancer, one of the most common endocrine malignancies, is especially high among women. Although most patients with thyroid cancers exhibit a good prognosis with standard treatment, there are no effective therapies for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancers or cancers that have reached an advanced or recurrent level. Therefore, it is important to develop highly effective compounds for treating such patients. Aloperine, a natural compound isolated from Sophora alopecuroides, has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-neuronal injury, anti-renal injury, antitumor, anti-allergic, and antiviral properties. In this study, we show that aloperine can inhibit cell growth in human anaplastic thyroid cancers and multidrug-resistant papillary thyroid cancers. Moreover, it could suppress in vitro tumorigenesis and promote cellular apoptosis. Further analysis demonstrated the involvement of caspase-dependent apoptosis, including intrinsic and/or extrinsic pathways, in aloperine-induced cellular apoptosis. However, cell cycle regulation was not detected with aloperine treatment. This study suggests the potential therapeutic use of aloperine in human anaplastic thyroid cancers and multidrug-resistant papillary thyroid cancers.
Highlights
Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies with the incidence rate being three times higher in women than in men [1]
Surgical treatment and radioactive iodine therapy have been found to be effective for most patients with thyroid cancer, there are no effective treatments for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC), or differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) that have reached an advanced or recurrent level
We found that aloperine could inhibit cellular proliferation and reduce the tumorigenesis of cells of multidrug-resistant human papillary thyroid carcinoma and in ATC
Summary
Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies with the incidence rate being three times higher in women than in men [1]. The current clinical treatment guidelines recommend surgery and radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid cancers. There are three types of human thyroid cancers: differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC), and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). ATC and PDTC are rare among human thyroid cancers; they are aggressive, exhibit a poor prognosis, and fail to respond to the available chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy. Surgical treatment and radioactive iodine therapy have been found to be effective for most patients with thyroid cancer, there are no effective treatments for patients with ATCs, PDTCs, or DTCs that have reached an advanced or recurrent level. There is an urgent need for a novel and an effective treatment strategy or an agent for treating these cancers
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