Effect of {beta}4 integrin knockdown by RNA interference in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Integrin α6β4 is a known tumor antigen; however, its function in different subtypes of thyroid cancer is not known. This study reports that α6β4 expression is selectively up-regulated in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) cells, the most malignant subtype of human thyroid cancer.


METHODS
To assess the contribution of α6β4 in ATC progression, cell proliferation, motility and soft agar assay were performed in vitro and a xenograft tumor growth assay was performed in vivo.


RESULTS
Knockdown of β4 integrin subunit expression by shRNA in ATC cells reduced the proliferation, migration, and anchorage-independent growth of ATC cells in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that integrin α6β4 contributes to the development of aggressive forms of thyroid cancer with poor prognostic potential, such as ATC, and thus may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment for this subtype of thyroid cancer.
Division of Endocrinology, Institute of Endocrinology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Tae Woong
TW
Noh
Young Hwa
YH
Soung
Hong Im
HI
Kim
Hyea Jin
HJ
Gil
Jeong Mo
JM
Kim
Eun Jig
EJ
Lee
Jun
J
Chung
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering