Abstract
BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting the endocrine system. The main treatment approaches consist of surgical procedures and radioiodine therapy. Recently, there has been a heightened interest in investigating alternative treatment options, including probiotics, which could potentially minimize toxicity. Consequently, there is a growing imperative for research aimed at investigating the potential role of probiotics in the management of cancer. METHODS: The B-CPAP cell line was maintained in culture and tested with different dilutions of two bacterial strains. Toxicity evaluations were performed using the MTT assay to identify appropriate concentrations. mRNA was extracted and analyzed via real-time PCR to measure the expression levels of the Bcl-2, Bax, and P53 genes. Furthermore, changes in the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis were examined using flow cytometry. RESULTS: The supernatant derived from Lacticaseibacillus casei (L. casei) - ATCC-393 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus)-GG demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of B-CPAP cancer cells. The findings indicated that the combination produced a more pronounced anti-cancer effect by enhancing the expression of pro-apoptotic genes while reducing Bcl-2 gene expression in B-CPAP cells. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated a notable change in the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and modifications in the cell cycle. This implies that probiotics may enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy in treating thyroid cancer. In particular, L. rhamnosus and L. casei may play a beneficial role in the therapeutic process. Further research is required to investigate the direct impact of probiotics on thyroid function.