Publications by authors named "Hannah Nieto"

Purpose: Patients with aggressive thyroid cancer are frequently failed by the central therapy of ablative radioiodide (RAI) uptake, due to reduced plasma membrane (PM) localization of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS). We aimed to understand how NIS is endocytosed away from the PM of human thyroid cancer cells, and whether this was druggable in vivo.

Experimental Design: Informed by analysis of endocytic gene expression in patients with aggressive thyroid cancer, we used mutagenesis, NanoBiT interaction assays, cell surface biotinylation assays, RAI uptake, and NanoBRET to understand the mechanisms of NIS endocytosis in transformed cell lines and patient-derived human primary thyroid cells.

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Stridor in an infant is a significant clinical sign; the primary objectives are to ensure that the airway is safe and to arrange timely, appropriate management. A structured history, examination and targeted investigations will determine the cause and guide care.Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in an infant.

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Background: Intraoperative and postoperative blood loss is a major risk in head and neck (H&N) surgery. Recently the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) has been investigated by multiple studies for reducing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, however reported results are variable.

Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of TXA use in H&N surgery.

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Introduction: Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is a critical component in the post-surgical management of thyroid cancer patients, as well as being a central therapeutic option in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Previous work suggests that antithyroid drugs hinder the efficacy of RAI therapy in patients. However, the effects of other background medications on RAI treatment efficacy have not been evaluated.

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Context: Thyroid cancer recurrence is associated with increased mortality and adverse outcomes. Recurrence risk is currently predicted using clinical tools, often restaging patients after treatment. Detailed understanding of recurrence risk at disease onset could lead to personalized and improved patient care.

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The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) functions to transport iodide and is critical for successful radioiodide ablation of cancer cells. Approaches to bolster NIS function and diminish recurrence post-radioiodide therapy are impeded by oncogenic pathways that suppress NIS, as well as the inherent complexity of NIS regulation. Here, we utilize NIS in high-throughput drug screening and undertake rigorous evaluation of lead compounds to identify and target key processes underpinning NIS function.

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The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) is required for iodide uptake, which facilitates thyroid hormone biosynthesis. NIS has been exploited for over 75 years in ablative radioiodine (RAI) treatment of thyroid cancer, where its ability to transport radioisotopes depends on its localization to the plasma membrane. The advent of NIS-based imaging and theranostic strategies in other malignancies and disease modalities has recently increased the clinical importance of NIS.

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The ability of thyroid follicular epithelial cells to accumulate iodide via the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) is exploited to successfully treat most thyroid cancers, although a subset of patients lose functional NIS activity and become unresponsive to radioiodide therapy, with poor clinical outcome. Our knowledge of NIS regulation remains limited, however. While numerous membrane proteins are functionally regulated via dimerization, there is little definitive evidence of NIS dimerization, and whether this might impact upon radioiodide uptake and treatment success is entirely unknown.

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Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the 6th most common cancer worldwide and poses a significant health burden due to its rising incidence. Although the proto-oncogene pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG) predicts poor patient outcome, its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. We show here that the protein PBF modulates PTTG function, is overexpressed in HNSCC tumors, and correlates with significantly reduced survival.

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Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and the incidence is increasing rapidly worldwide. Appropriate diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring of patients with thyroid tumours are critical. Fine needle aspiration cytology remains the gold standard for diagnosing thyroid cancer, and although there have been significant refinements to this technique, diagnostic surgery is often required for patients suspected to have malignancy.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on the proto-oncogene PBF (PTTG1-binding factor) that is overexpressed in various endocrine cancers, contributing to tumor aggressiveness and metastatic disease, which is a leading cause of cancer deaths.
  • - Researchers found that PBF interacts with cortactin (CTTN) at the edges of migrating cancer cells, enhancing their invasion and migration capabilities, especially in thyroid and breast cancer cells.
  • - The findings suggest that inhibiting the PBF-CTTN interaction could be a new strategy to reduce tumor cell movement and improve outcomes in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer and other endocrine cancers.
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