The Impact of Transcription Factor Prospero Homeobox 1 on the Regulation of Thyroid Cancer Malignancy

Abstract

Transcription factor Prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) is continuously expressed in the lymphatic endothelial cells, playing an essential role in their differentiation. Many reports have shown that PROX1 is implicated in cancer development and acts as an oncoprotein or suppressor in a tissue-dependent manner. Additionally, the PROX1 expression in many types of tumors has prognostic significance and is associated with patient outcomes. In our previous experimental studies, we showed that PROX1 is present in the thyroid cancer (THC) cells of different origins and has a high impact on follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) phenotypes, regulating migration, invasion, focal adhesion, cytoskeleton reorganization, and angiogenesis. Herein, we discuss the PROX1 transcript and protein structures, the expression pattern of PROX1 in THC specimens, and its epigenetic regulation. Next, we emphasize the biological processes and genes regulated by PROX1 in CGTH-W-1 cells, derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Finally, we discuss the interaction of PROX1 with other lymphatic factors. In our review, we aimed to highlight the importance of vascular molecules in cancer development and provide an update on the functionality of PROX1 in THC biology regulation.

ZFPM2-AS1 transcriptionally mediated by STAT1 regulates thyroid cancer cell growth, migration and invasion via miR-515-5p/TUSC3

“…As previous studies, multiple transcription factors are up-regulated in thyroid cancer 17 - 19 . Among them, several transcription factors can induce the up-regulation of lncRNAs, such as FOXO1 20 and SP1 21 .…”

The Role of PROX1 in Neoplasia: A Key Player Often Overlooked

“…The interdependence between PROX1 and FGF2 was linked to thyroid cancer progression and correlated with the cancer stage and OS. Additional analysis of the extracted data from the GEPIA (gene expression profiling interactive analysis) database [24] led to similar findings, in terms of the association between the PROX1 and FGF2 expression profiles, in a cohort of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients [25].…”

Cell and Molecular Biology of Thyroid Disorders 2.0

“…In this Special Issue, a total of 12 excellent papers consisting of eight original articles [ 6 , 7 , 10 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ], and four reviews [ 19 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] were published, as detailed in Table 1 .…”

“…This collection includes nine manuscripts focusing on TC [ 19 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], two research articles on the topic of Graves’ disease [ 6 , 7 ], and one article with focus on central congenital hypothyroidism [ 10 ]. The TC studies published in this issue focused on prognostic, predictive markers or biomarkers [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 27 ], oncogenes [ 22 ] of TC, and anti-cancer drugs [ 19 , 26 , 28 , 29 ].…”

“…This interesting study demonstrated the key role of PROX1 in the spreading behaviour of TC via regulation of angiogenesis [ 25 ]. PROX1 acts as a prognostic factor and is associated with patients’ outcomes [ 27 ]. An earlier study had proposed that the reactivation of PROX1 is a potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate disease progression in PTC [ 30 ].…”