ArticleBiological trace element research2025
In Vitro Effects of Boric Acid on Cell Cycle, Apoptosis, and miRNAs in Medullary Thyroid Cancer Cells.
Article in Biological trace element research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Boric Acid Combined with Venetoclax Induces Apoptosis in CLL Cell Lines via Caspase Activation and Oxidative Stress Modulation: In Vitro and In Silico Study.Biological trace element research · 2026Article
- Boric Acid Combined with Venetoclax Induces Apoptosis in CLL Cell Lines via Caspase Activation and Oxidative Stress Modulation: In Vitro and In Silico Study.Biological trace element research · 2026Article
- Substrate for Thyroid Hormone Synthesis: Biochemistry, Evolution, and Physiology.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026Review
- Synthesis and Evaluation of Boron-Containing Heterocyclic Compounds with Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a highly aggressive and chemotherapy-resistant cancer originating from the thyroid's parafollicular C cells. Due to its resistance to conventional treatments, alternative therapies such as boric acid have been explored. Boric acid, a boron-based compound, has shown anticarcinogenic effects, positioning it as a potential treatment option for MTC. TT medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line (TT cells) and human thyroid fibroblast (HThF cells) were utilized for the cell culture experiments. Cell viability was assessed using the 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) assay. Total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent for gene expression and microRNA (miRNA) analysis via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The extent of apoptosis induced by boric acid was determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate the impact of boric acid on the colony-forming ability of MTC cells. At 48 h, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of boric acid was found to be 35 μM. Treatment with boric acid resulted in significant modulation of apoptosis-related genes and miRNAs, including increased expression of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1(NOXA), apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (APAF-1), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), caspase-3, and caspase-9. In contrast, the expression of B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), B cell lymphoma- extra-large (Bcl-xl), and microRNA-21 (miR-21), which are linked to the aggressiveness of MTC, was significantly reduced. The TUNEL assay indicated a 14% apoptosis rate, and there was a 67.9% reduction in colony formation, as shown by the colony formation assay. Our study suggests that boric acid may have anticancer activity in MTC by modulating apoptotic pathways. These findings suggest that boric acid could be a potential therapeutic agent for MTC and possibly for other malignancies with similar pathogenic mechanisms.
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