Thyroid stem cells and cancer.
BACKGROUND
Thyroid gland development and function are essential for life, and recent findings indicate the presence of stem/progenitor cells within the thyroid gland as a potential source of tissue regeneration and cancer formation.


CONCLUSIONS
This review summarizes the current knowledge on early differentiation of thyroid cells from embryonic stem cells and highlights exciting concepts and recent novel findings on adult thyroid stem/progenitor cells in the normal thyroid gland and in thyroid cancer. Other potential sources and markers of stem/progenitor cells in the thyroid include bone marrow, microchimerism, and embryological remnant-derived multifocal solid cell nests. Finally, we discuss new therapeutic strategies that target thyroid cancer stem cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid stem/progenitor cell populations are present in the normal and diseased thyroid gland. Advances in normal and cancer thyroid stem cell biology will be essential for future targeted therapies.
Klonisch
Thomas
T
Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba , Winnipeg, Canada. klonisch@cc.umanitoba.ca
Hoang-Vu
Cuong
C
Hombach-Klonisch
Sabine
S
D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D046528:Chimerism; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; C501412:Abcg2 protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse