43RJ – SSTR2 expression in Hϋrthle Cell Lesions of the Thyroid

Status: Filled – Intern: Ifeoluwa Akisanya
Intern: Ifeoluwa Akisanya
Faculty Name: renata-jaskula-sztul-2
UAB Department: Department of Surgery
UAB School: UAB School of Medicine
Campus Address: 310H Wallace Tumor Institute, 1824 6th Avenue South
Telephone Number: (205) 975-3507
Email: sztul@uab.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 3 or more
CCC Research Area: Cancer Control and Population Science
Number of hours per week that the preceptor will personally supervise or work with the intern: 20
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Jason Whitt, PhD
2. Rui Zheng-Pywell
Title of Project: 43RJ – SSTR2 expression in Hϋrthle Cell Lesions of the Thyroid
Project Description:

Somatostatin receptors (SSTR) are found in normal human cells and tumor tissue, especially neuroendocrine tumors. Tumors expressing an SSTR-subtype, SSTR2, can be treated with receptor-specific agonists such as octreotide. Additionally, the FDA recently approved 68Ga-Dotatate, a radionucleotide somatostain analog with high SSTR2 affinity, for staging patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Recent studies have shown SSTR2 expression in non-medullary thyroid cancer, papillary carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma.
However, SSTR2 expression has not yet been studied in thyroid Hϋrthle cell neoplasms, recently considered to be a histologic variant of follicular neoplams. Additionally, differing SSTR2 expression between benign Hϋrthle adenomas and carcinomas has also not yet been explored. Finally, a subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma has similar morphology to Hϋrthle cell lesions: papillary thyroid carcinoma- oncocytic or Hϋrthle cell variant. It is unknown whether receptor expression in these tumors are more similar to Hϋrthle cell carcinoma or conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma.
We would like to analyze SSTR expression in 90 Hϋrthle cell neoplasms (adenoma and carcinoma) and 10 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, Hϋrthle cell variant. Additionally, we will analyze 40 conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas, and 30 benign thyroid cases with non-neoplastic Hϋrthle cell lesions (Hϋrthle cell hyperplasia and metaplasia). Tissue originated from our department’s surgical pathology archives of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded blocks.
The analysis will be done on already stained TMA (tissue microarray slides) and will require making the correlations between the clinical statuses of patient with TMA-SSTR2 marker positivity. Additional thyroid cancer markers (TTF1 and TSC receptor) will be available to study. Results will be tabulated and statistical analysis performed.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: June 1, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 14, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Not very flexible, intern MUST be at work on certain days of the week and at certain times of the day (as may be necessary to interview patients, attend lab meetings, process samples, etc.) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Clinical (Patient Care) Research
Cancer topic: Thyroid
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

work with microscope and scoring

2.

analyze clinical data

3.

abstract and manuscript preparation

Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following:
Office or desk space, Computer and printer, Laboratory work bench space, Supplies needed to complete project, Equipment needed to complete project
Likelihood that intern will be included as an author on one or more publications
related to this summer research project:
Very likely
Areas in which the ideal candidates will have experience:
Cancer Rates, Trends and Statistics, Clinical Oncology, Literature Review Skills, Manuscript Preparation for Submission to a Journal, Pathology, Statistics and Data Management, basic knowledge