In thyroid cancer, NOTCH1 expression has been associated to aggressive features even if its in vivo expression within the entire spectrum of thyroid tumors has not definitively established.
Recent evidence suggests that the Notch1 pathway is important in the regulation of thyroid cancer cell growth and expression of thyrocyte differentiation markers.
Overexpression of Notch-1 in thyroid cancer cells restores differentiation, reduces cell growth rates, and stimulates NIS expression via a direct action on the NIS promoter.
Overexpression of the NOTCH1 intracellular domain inhibits cell proliferation and alters the neuroendocrine phenotype of medullary thyroid cancer cells.