Construction of a ferroptosis-related eight gene signature for predicting the prognosis and immune infiltration of thyroid cancer

Ferroptosis in thyroid cancer: Potential mechanisms, effective therapeutic targets and predictive biomarker

Thyroid cancer is a prevalent endocrine malignancy whose global incidence has risen over the past several decades. Ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death distinguished by the excessive buildup of iron-dependent lipid peroxidates, stands out from other programmed cell death pathways in terms of morphological and molecular characteristics. Increasing evidence suggests a close association between thyroid cancer and ferroptosis, that is, inducing ferroptosis effectively suppresses the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells and impede tumor advancement. Therefore, ferroptosis represents a promising therapeutic target for the clinical management of thyroid cancer in clinical settings. Alterations in ferroptosis-related genes hold potential for prognostic prediction in thyroid cancer. This review summarizes current studies on the role of ferroptosis in thyroid cancer, elucidating its mechanisms, therapeutic targets, and predictive biomarkers. The findings underscore the significance of ferroptosis in thyroid cancer and offer valuable insights into the development of innovative treatment strategies and accurate predictors for the thyroid cancer.

In Vitro Ferroptotic and Antitumor Effect of Free or Liposome-Encapsulated Artesunate in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cells

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is generally treated as an indolent and curable cancer. However, the unavailability of surgery and ineffective radiotherapy persists in PTCs, resulting in poor outcomes and low survival rates. Thus, new chemotherapeutic strategies for PTCs are urgently needed. Resistance to ferroptosis remarkably contributes to cancer occurrence and progression. Artesunate (ART) has been repurposed as an anticancer drug, as it induces cell death in numerous cancers. However, whether ART induces ferroptosis in PTC cells and, consequently, facilitates PTC therapy remains elusive. Furthermore, overcoming the pharmacological limitations of ART is a key requirement to support its clinical application. Herein, we reanalyzed the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression database (GTEx) to characterize the occurrence of resistance to ferroptosis in thyroid cancer. In vitro results showed that ART induced ferroptosis in PTC cells by increasing the cellular iron content. The encapsulation of ART by liposomes did not alter the efficiency in inducing ferroptosis and inhibiting the invasion and migration of PTC cells compared with direct ART application. Thus, PTC resistance to ferroptosis can be overcome by ART and liposome-encapsulated ART.