ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY - POTENTIAL IMPACT ON DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DISORDERS OF THE THYROID

Advances in molecular biology research continue to have a major impact on clinical medicine. These advances are providing an understanding of the mechanisms involved in cancers of the thyroid gland. They have led to an enhanced understanding of (1) the growth factors that control proliferation of the thyroid gland, (2) the potential steps in thyroid nodule and neoplasia development, (3) particular mutations that may occur as thyroid cancers develop, (4) oncogenes that are expressed in thyroid cancers, and (5) the genetic defects that are responsible for thyroid gland malignancies in the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes.