In Vitro Ferroptotic and Antitumor Effect of Free or Liposome-Encapsulated Artesunate in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cells

Abstract Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is generally treated as an indolent and curable cancer. However, the unavailability of surgery and ineffective radiotherapy persists in PTCs, resulting in poor outcomes and low survival rates. Thus, new chemotherapeutic strategies for PTCs are urgently needed. Resistance to ferroptosis remarkably contributes to cancer occurrence and progression. Artesunate (ART) has been repurposed as an anticancer drug, as it induces cell death in numerous cancers. However, whether ART induces ferroptosis in PTC cells and, consequently, facilitates