Figure 2.

Schematic representation of possible therapeutic strategies targeting thyroid cancer initiating progenitor cells to eradicate TC. Thyroid cancer stem cells (TCSC) are considered to be responsible of TC initiation, progression, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence. Conventional therapy fails to destroy these cells, contributing to tumor relapse and metastases. TCSC-focused therapies may include strategies aiming to inhibit IR-A/IGF2 overexpression and activation, IR-A-mediated mitogenic signals, the crosstalk between IR-A and other molecular partners, signaling pathways regulating survival, stemness, EMT programs, and the tumor niche. This strategy combined with conventional therapy could allow us to eradicate tumor cells and obtain complete remission.