Journal
Antiproliferative and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects of Iodine Molecule in Differentiated Primary Thyroid Cancer Cells: In Vitro Study
Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education · Vol. 18 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 166–173
- ISSN
- 2338-7610, 2085-191X
- Published
- 2026-04-28
- Publisher
- Universitas Negeri Semarang
- Language
- eng
Abstract
Thyroid cancer poses a persistent clinical challenge, particularly when conventional therapies fall short. Growing evidence suggests that molecular iodine (I₂) may exert direct antitumor effects beyond its classical role in thyroid hormone synthesis. This study evaluated the antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of I₂ on primary cell cultures derived from differentiated thyroid cancer tissue and established dose- and time-response relationships. Primary cultures were exposed to I₂ at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 100 µM for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cell viability was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, with IC₅₀ calculated accordingly. Apoptosis was characterized by acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) double-staining, analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and ImageJ software. I₂ demonstrated clear antiproliferative and apoptotic activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The strongest effect appeared at 100 µM after 72 hours, reducing viability to 1.39% (p < 0.001). At the IC₅₀ of 2.09 µM, iodine significantly suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis, with an apoptosis rate of 81.77% ± 12.24% (p = 0.004). These findings confirm the meaningful antineoplastic potential of I₂ against differentiated thyroid cancer cells. This study supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), contributing to efforts to develop more equitable, effective cancer treatment options and to reduce cancer-related morbidity globally.
Keywords
Collaboration network of the authors
32 authors · 103 co-authorship links
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- Universitas Halu Oleo
- Affiliation unknown
- Different organisations
- Same organisation
- Affiliation unknown
- Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
| Co-author | Organisation | Joint articles |
|---|---|---|
| Putri Ariani | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Dedy Kurnia | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Rudy Afriant | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Rina Gustia | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Rikarni | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Rinal Effendi | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Dewi Anggraini | Universitas Halu Oleo | 1 |
| Yustinus Maladan | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Indra Yovi | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Dodi Safari | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Nur Afrainin Syah | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Rosantia Sarassari | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Ayummi Azzahrah | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Nicholas Gilbert Pelawi | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Tuan Van Nguyen | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Dodi Wijaya | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Nurfika Asmaningrum | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Kholid Rosyidi Muhammad Nur | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Hurin'in Aisy Baridah | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Made Dian Kusumawati | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Irfan Wabula | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Hidayat Arifin | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Boby Febri Krisdianto | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Mohd. Jamil | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Leni Merdawati | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
| Wirsma Arif Harahap | Affiliation unknown | 1 |
Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.