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Inhibition of BRAF kinase suppresses cellular proliferation, but not enough for complete growth arrest in BRAF V600E mutated papillary and undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas

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Abstract

The aim of our study was to inhibit BRAF kinase expression and investigate its effect on cellular functions in thyroid carcinomas. 8505C (BRAF V600E/V600E) undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma cell line and B-CPAP (BRAF V600E/V600E) papillary thyroid carcinoma cell line were used to develop doxycycline-inducible anti-BRAF shRNA stable cell lines. The inhibitions of BRAF expression in these cells were confirmed with qPCR and Western blot. Impacts of BRAF protein inhibition on cellular functions and signalling pathways were observed through Western blot, proliferation and colony formation assays. BRAF kinase expression was inhibited 83 % in undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma and 82 % in papillary thyroid carcinoma (p < 0.05). As a result of BRAF kinase inhibition, reduction in MEK kinase activity was seen (p < 0.05) in both thyroid cancer cell lines (72 and 75 %, respectively). Initially, big drop in proliferation (p < 0.05) was observed (52 and 54 %, respectively), but later an increasing proliferation trend was noticed in BRAF kinase-inhibited cell lines. In addition, reduction in colony formation (p < 0.05) was seen in BRAF kinase-inhibited carcinoma cells (13 and 15 %, respectively). On the other hand, increase in AKT kinase activity (63 and 70 %, respectively; p < 0.05) was discovered in both BRAF kinase-inhibited carcinoma cells. Increased activation of alternative proliferation pathways (as determined by the increase of AKT kinase activity) counteracts the effect of BRAF kinase inhibition in thyroid carcinomas. Thus, alternative proliferation pathways should be inhibited for therapeutic suppression of BRAF-induced proliferation in thyroid carcinomas.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are obliged to all research associates in Cancer Molecular Pathology Group, Menzies Health Institute Queensland and Griffith University. This research was completed with the support of higher degree research funding from Griffith University and the project Grants from Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Molecular Pathology, School of Medicine, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Md Atiqur Rahman, Ali Salajegheh & Alfred King-yin Lam

  2. Faculty of Health, Genomics Research Centre, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Robert Anthony Smith

  3. Pathology Queensland and Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Alfred King-yin Lam

  4. Head of Pathology, Griffith Medical School, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia

    Alfred King-yin Lam

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Correspondence to Alfred King-yin Lam.

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Rahman, M.A., Salajegheh, A., Smith, R.A. et al. Inhibition of BRAF kinase suppresses cellular proliferation, but not enough for complete growth arrest in BRAF V600E mutated papillary and undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas. Endocrine 54, 129–138 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-016-0985-7

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