Adding pieces to the puzzle of differentiated-to-anaplastic thyroid cancer evolution: the oncogene E2F7

Abstract

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) is the most aggressive and de-differentiated subtype of thyroid cancer. Many studies hypothesized that ATC derives from Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (DTC) through a de-differentiation process triggered by specific molecular events still largely unknown. E2F7 is an atypical member of the E2F family. Known as cell cycle inhibitor and keeper of genomic stability, in specific contexts its function is oncogenic, guiding cancer progression. We performed a meta-analysis on 279 gene expression profiles, from 8 Gene Expression Omnibus patient samples datasets, to explore the causal relationship between DTC and ATC. We defined 3 specific gene signatures describing the evolution from normal thyroid tissue to DTC and ATC and validated them in a cohort of human surgically resected ATCs collected in our Institution. We identified E2F7 as a key player in the DTC-ATC transition and showed in vitro that its down-regulation reduced ATC cells’ aggressiveness features. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq profiling allowed the identification of the E2F7 specific gene program, which is mainly related to cell cycle progression and DNA repair ability. Overall, this study identified a signature describing DTC de-differentiation toward ATC subtype and unveiled an E2F7-dependent transcriptional program supporting this process.