Published in

MDPI, Cancers, 5(16), p. 942, 2024

DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050942

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Non-Mutational Key Features in the Biology of Thymomas

Journal article published in 2024 by Stefan Küffer ORCID, Denise Müller ORCID, Alexander Marx, Philipp Ströbel ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Thymomas (THs) are a unique group of heterogeneous tumors of the thymic epithelium. In particular, the subtypes B2 and B3 tend to be aggressive and metastatic. Radical tumor resection remains the only curative option for localized tumors, while more advanced THs require multimodal treatment. Deep sequencing analyses have failed to identify known oncogenic driver mutations in TH, with the notable exception of the GTF2I mutation, which occurs predominantly in type A and AB THs. However, there are multiple alternative non-mutational mechanisms (e.g., perturbed thymic developmental programs, metabolism, non-coding RNA networks) that control cellular behavior and tumorigenesis through the deregulation of critical molecular pathways. Here, we attempted to show how the results of studies investigating such alternative mechanisms could be integrated into a current model of TH biology. This model could be used to focus ongoing research and therapeutic strategies.