title: Targeting TGF-β1 suppresses survival of and invasion by anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overexpression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 has been implicated in promoting cell survival, migration and invasion in many cancers, including anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). In the present study, we studied the effect of suppressing TGF-β1 by RNA silencing on the survival, invasion and metastasis of ATC cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Small interfering RNA (siRNA) constructs targeting TGF-β1 were validated and used to develop clonal derivatives of the ATC cell line, 8505C. The cells were used in severalin vitroassays, including migration, invasion, survival rate, colony formation and apoptosis. A wound healing assay was used to determine the migration of cells in culture and a Boyden chamber transwell assay was used for invasion. Further, clones were used in anin vivomouse model to study the kinetics of tumor growth and metastatic growth in lungs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Targeting TGF-β1 expression in 8505C cells caused a 70% decrease in migration and a 78% decrease in invasion, as well as a 68% decrease in proliferation and a 19% increase in apoptosisin vitro. The growth of primary tumorsin vivowas also inhibited when compared with parental 8505C cells; however, the number of mice bearing lung metastases was not significantly decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting TGF-β1 may be effective in inhibiting primary tumor formation, but not metastasis, by ATC cells. TGF-β1 inhibition in combination with other tumor-targeted therapies may be more effective in inhibiting ATC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Wenhai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Chengyang Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonic Diagnosis, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Fengyun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Kejun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: Anaplastic thyroid cancer; TGF-β1; metastasis