RET oncogene in MEN2, MEN2B, MTC and other forms of thyroid cancer

Abstract

Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is caused by specific autosomal dominant gain-of-function mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. Genotype–phenotype correlations exist that help predict the presence of other associated endocrine neoplasms as well as the timing of thyroid cancer development. MTC represents a promising model for targeted cancer therapy, as the oncogenic event responsible for initiating malignancy has been well characterized. The RET proto-oncogene has become the target for molecularly designed drug therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting activated RET are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with MTC. This review will provide a brief overview of MTC and the associated RET oncogenic mutations, and will summarize the therapies designed to strategically interfere with the pathologic activation of the RET oncogene.

Keywords::

• clinical trial
• multiple endocrine neoplasia
• oncogene
• thyroid cancer
• tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Maya B Lodish’s fellowship is supported by the Intramural Program on Pediatric Endocrinology, National Institutes of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; funds for this work are in part supported by NICHD, NIH intramural project Z01-HD-000642-04 to Constantine A Stratakis. Constantine A Stratakis is a US Government employee and this work was produced as part of his duties. He is an associate investigator in a TKI trial but has no financial conflicts of interest. Maya B Lodish is a Commissioned Officer in the US Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services and a 2nd year fellow-in-training in Pediatric Endocrinology. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.