Novel therapeutic targets for thyroid carcinomas

The Radboudumc Center for Thyroid Carcinomas provides patient-centered healthcare that results in optimal diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. It is fully integrated with an innovative and well-funded research program aimed at improving treatment success and clinical outcome of patients with advanced thyroid cancer for whom treatment options are currently limited and prognosis remains poor. Within this program, we investigate the ways inflammation and autophagy, two interrelated evolutionary conserved biological processes, contribute to the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. Furthermore, we investigate whether pharmacological modulation of these processes can lead to re-differentiation of thyroid cancer cells and improved responsiveness to conventional therapy. These studies have led to major insights into the pathogenesis of treatment-resistant thyroid cancer and have identified novel therapeutic targets (Oncoimmunology 2016).