Identification of Metabolic Pathways Altered in Thyroid Cancer Progression and Metastasis

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy with a rising incidence. However, to improve patient outcomes, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms driving its progression and metastasis, and the metabolomics can unveil alterations in metabolic pathways that contribute to thyroid cancer. Objective: To identify the metabolic pathways altered in thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. Methods: Multiple bioinformatics tools were employed in the research. Gene expression data was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas. Functional assessment of the expressed genes in thyroid cancer was performed using gene set enrichment analysis. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database was utilized to identify the metabolic pathway involved in thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. A computational algorithm was developed to estimate the activity levels of the identified metabolic pathways and construct a signaling pathway. Results: The altered metabolic pathways in thyroid cancer progression and metastasis were identified based on the following algorithm: activation of growth factor signaling, activation of multiple signaling pathways, regulation by transcription factors, dysregulation of downstream signaling cascades, changes in cellular metabolism, tumor progression, invasion and metastasis, and feedback regulation. Conclusion: By applying a comprehensive algorithm, we were able to uncover key molecular events driving the aggressive behavior of thyroid cancer. These findings provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. Keywords: Thyroid cancer, metabolic pathways, metastasis.