Targeting COPZ1 non-oncogene addiction counteracts the viability of thyroid tumor cells

Thyroid carcinoma is generally associated with good prognosis, but no effective treatments are currently available for aggressive forms not cured by standard therapy. To find novel therapeutic targets for this tumor type, we had previously performed a siRNA-based functional screening to identify genes essential for sustaining the oncogenic phenotype of thyroid tumor cells, but not required to the same extent for the viability of normal cells (non-oncogene addiction paradigm). Among those, we found the coatomer protein complex ζ1 (COPZ1) gene, which is involved in intracellular traffic, autophagy and lipid homeostasis.

Source: Cancer Letters - September 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Chiara Anania Maria, Elena Cetti, Daniele Lecis, Katia Todoerti, Alessandro Gulino, Giuseppe Mauro, Tiziana Di Marco, Loredana Cleris, Sonia Pagliardini, Giacomo Manenti, Beatrice Belmonte, Claudio Tripodo, Antonino Neri, Angela Greco Source Type: research