Study on the anti-tumor effect of Wall-broken Ganoderma lucidum spore powder on papillary thyroid cancer

Ganoderma lucidum wall-broken spores (BGLSP), traditionally used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for immunity and chronic diseases, contain bioactive triterpenoids with anti-tumor potential, but their mechanisms against papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of BGLSP on PTC, focusing on its ability to modulate cellular proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. Three PTC cell lines (TPC-1, K1, KTC-1) were treated with BGLSP (0.5–4 mg/mL) to assess viability (CCK-8 assay), proliferation (colony formation, Ki-67 immunofluorescence), apoptosis (flow cytometry, caspase activation), and migration (wound healing, transwell assays). Western blot analyzed EMT markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, ZO-1), while a nude mouse xenograft model assessed BGLSP efficacy (2 mg/kg). BGLSP significantly inhibited PTC cell proliferation and colony formation while inducing apoptosis via caspase-8/caspase-3 activation. It suppressed migration by reversing EMT, upregulating epithelial markers (E-cadherin, ZO-1), and downregulating mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, Vimentin). In vivo, BGLSP reduced tumor growth and Ki-67 expression, corroborating in vitro findings. BGLSP demonstrates anti-tumor effects in PTC by targeting proliferation, apoptosis, and EMT, supporting its traditional use. These findings highlight its potential as a natural adjuvant therapy, warranting further study of active compounds and clinical applications.