Open Access

Thyroid tumor-initiating cells: Increasing evidence and opportunities for anticancer therapy (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Yong-Ju Gao
    • Bo Li
    • Xin-Yu Wu
    • Jing Cui
    • Jian-Kui Han
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 14, 2014     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2014.2978
  • Pages: 1035-1042
  • Copyright: © Gao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

Accumulating evidence supports the notion that thyroid cancer is initiated by tumor-initiating cells (TICs) (commonly known as cancer stem cells), which are thought to play a crucial role in malignant progression, therapeutic resistance and recurrence. Thyroid TICs have been isolated and identified using specific biomarkers (such as CD133), the side population, sphere formation and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity assays. Although their characteristics remain largely unknown, TICs provide an attractive cellular mechanism to explain therapeutic refractoriness. Efforts are currently being directed toward the identification of therapeutic strategies that could target these cells. The present review discusses the cellular origins of TICs and the main approaches used to isolate and identify thyroid TICs, with a focus on the remaining challenges and opportunities for anticancer therapy.
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2014-March
Volume 31 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Gao Y, Li B, Wu X, Cui J and Han J: Thyroid tumor-initiating cells: Increasing evidence and opportunities for anticancer therapy (Review). Oncol Rep 31: 1035-1042, 2014
APA
Gao, Y., Li, B., Wu, X., Cui, J., & Han, J. (2014). Thyroid tumor-initiating cells: Increasing evidence and opportunities for anticancer therapy (Review). Oncology Reports, 31, 1035-1042. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2014.2978
MLA
Gao, Y., Li, B., Wu, X., Cui, J., Han, J."Thyroid tumor-initiating cells: Increasing evidence and opportunities for anticancer therapy (Review)". Oncology Reports 31.3 (2014): 1035-1042.
Chicago
Gao, Y., Li, B., Wu, X., Cui, J., Han, J."Thyroid tumor-initiating cells: Increasing evidence and opportunities for anticancer therapy (Review)". Oncology Reports 31, no. 3 (2014): 1035-1042. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2014.2978