Oncotarget: Increased expression of the thyroid hormone nuclear receptor TRα1 characterizes intestinal tumors with high Wnt activity

Joel Uchuya-Castillo, Nicolas Aznar, Carla Frau, Pierre Martinez, Clementine Le Nevé, Laetitia Marisa, Luiz OF Penalva, Pierre Laurent-Puig, Alain Puisieux, Jean-Yves Scoazec, Jacques Samarut, Stephane Ansieau, Michelina Plateroti

Our previous work demonstrated a key function of the thyroid hormone nuclear receptor TRα1, a T3-modulated transcription factor, in controlling intestinal development and homeostasis via the Wnt and Notch pathways. Importantly, increased expression of TRα1 in the intestinal epithelium in a mutated Apc genetic background (vil-TRα1/Apc+/1638N mice) accelerated tumorigenesis and contributed to a more aggressive tumor phenotype compared to that of the Apc mutants alone. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relevance of this synergistic effect in human colorectal cancers and to gain insights into the mechanisms involved. We analyzed cohorts of patients by in silico and experimental approaches and observed increased TRα1 expression and a significant correlation between TRα1 levels and Wnt activity. TRα1 loss-of-function and gain-of-function in Caco2 cell lines not only confirmed that …

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