Autophagy sustains mitochondrial respiration and determines resistance to BRAF inhibition in thyroid carcinoma cells.

BRAF is the most prevalent mutation in thyroid cancer and correlates with poor prognosis and therapy resistance. Although selective inhibitors of BRAF have been developed, more advanced tumors such as anaplastic thyroid carcinomas show a poor response in clinical trials. Therefore, the study of alternative survival mechanisms is needed.

BRAF Inhibition Induces Cytoprotective Autophagy through AMPK in Thyroid Cancer Cells.

The dysregulation of autophagy is important in the development of many cancers, including thyroid cancer, where BRAF is a main oncogene. Here, we analyse the effect of BRAF inhibition on autophagy, the mechanisms involved in this regulation and the role of autophagy in cell survival of thyroid cancer cells. We reveal that the inhibition of BRAF activity with its specific inhibitor PLX4720 or the depletion of its expression by siRNA induces autophagy in thyroid tumour cells.