Mechanism of and research progress on alterations in the RET gene in thyroid cancer (Review)

Wei,Meng; Wang,Rui; Qian,Jincan; Fang,Qiang; Tao,Jun

doi:10.3892/mmr.2026.13874

June-2026 Volume 33 Issue 6

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June-2026 Volume 33 Issue 6

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Review Open Access

Mechanism of and research progress on alterations in the RET gene in thyroid cancer (Review)

Authors:
- Meng Wei
- Rui Wang
- Jincan Qian
- Qiang Fang
- Jun Tao
View Affiliations / Copyright

Affiliations: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China, Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China, First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China, Department of Scientific Research, The First Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232007, P.R. China

Copyright: © Wei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.
Article Number: 164
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Published online on: April 2, 2026

https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2026.13874
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Abstract

The global incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has markedly increased in recent years, making it the most prevalent endocrine‑related cancer worldwide. TC primarily originates from follicular and parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland, and includes four main pathological types: Papillary TC (PTC), follicular TC, medullary TC (MTC) and anaplastic TC. Notably, characteristic oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are associated with TC, which are considered targets for the development of treatment strategies. The rearranged during transfection (RET) gene serves a pivotal role in the development of TC, and mutations and fusions of this gene are closely associated with the onset of MTC and PTC. The structure of RET includes four cadherin‑like domains and 16 cysteine residues in its extracellular domain, which confer unique functionalities and contribute to its intracellular role. RET activation is a complex process involving multiple intracellular events, including calcium ion binding, glial cell line‑derived neurotrophic factor family ligand binding, and RET receptor aggregation, dimerization and autophosphorylation. The present study reviews the structure and function of the RET proto‑oncogene and its pathogenic roles in various TC subtypes.

Journals

International Journal of Molecular Medicine

International Journal of Oncology

Molecular Medicine Reports

Oncology Reports

Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine

Oncology Letters

Biomedical Reports

Molecular and Clinical Oncology

World Academy of Sciences Journal

International Journal of Functional Nutrition

International Journal of Epigenetics

Medicine International

Mechanism of and research progress on alterations in the RET gene in thyroid cancer (Review)

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Abstract

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