apadilla – Page 5 – Cancer Research Experiences for Students (CaRES)

04WD – Harvest for Health

Status: Filled – Rainer Jones
Intern: Rainer Jones
Faculty Name: wendy-demark-wahnefried-4
Primary Faculty Appointment: UAB
UAB/HA Department: UAB Department of Nutrition
Campus Address: 1675 UNIVERSITY BLVD
Telephone Number: (205) 446-9736
Email: demark@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 & 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. Teri Hoenemeyer
2. Daniel Edwards
Title of Project: 04WD – Harvest for Health
Project Description:

Harvest for Health is an NIH-funded trial that will recruit up to 426 older (≥60 years), early stage cancer survivors across Alabama. Participants will undergo a baseline virtual visit whereupon they will be assessed for physical functioning, blood biomarkers, and body weight status and will then be randomized to 1-of-2 study arms: 1) one that receives a 1-year mentored vegetable gardening intervention that pairs a cancer survivor with a certified Master Gardener; or 2) a wait-list control arm that receives the intervention after a 1-year delay. All participants will be followed for 2 years. This randomized controlled trial aims to: 1) determine the efficacy of the vegetable gardening intervention on fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity AND physical function (assessed by self-report and backed by objective measures: plasma carotene, accelerometry, and performance testing); 2) assess effects of the intervention on secondary endpoints, e.g., quality of life, biomarkers of successful aging (interleukin-6 and telomerase); 3) evaluate the durability and repeatability of the intervention; 4) explore participant factors related with program efficacy (e.g., gender, co-morbidity, age); and 5) perform an economic analysis to assess the value of health improvements relative to intervention costs. The proposed home-based, vegetable gardening intervention (using raised beds or Earthboxes® – depending on survivors’ living arrangements) is a novel and feasible strategy to improve dietary intake, physical activity, and physical functioning in cancer survivors at high risk for cancer-related morbidity – one that has great clinical and public health significance given the increasing number of cancer survivors and the high economic and societal costs associated with comorbid disease. This study is currently being conducted remotely using virtual assessment methods via Zoom. Project opportunities include conducting remote virtual assessment of participants, debriefing participants, and assuring outcomes data quality. These opportunities are available for remote participation.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 3, 2021
Proposed End Date: August 27, 2021
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Number of days that the student will be expected to come physically to UAB:
0 – project will be fully virtual except for the required in-person checkpoint visits
Category of Project: Community-Based or Field Research
Cancer topic: Diet and Nutrition, Survivorship, Multiple Cancer Sites
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Assist with virtual assessments for anthropomorphic and physical function measure.

Assist with data quality checks.

Assist with patient communication strategies and materials development.

01TH – Daughters, dUdes, mothErs & others fighting cancer Together (DUET)

Status: Filled – Jessica Cushing-Murray
Intern: Jessica Cushing-Murray
Faculty Name: teri-hoenemeyer-phd
Primary Faculty Appointment: UAB
UAB/HA Department: UAB Department of Nutrition
Campus Address: 1675 UNIVERSITY BLVD, Birmingham, AL
Telephone Number: (205) 446-9736
Email: tgw318@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 & 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. Teri Hoenemeyer< PhD
2. Teri Hoenemeyer< PhD
Title of Project: 01TH – Daughters, dUdes, mothErs & others fighting cancer Together (DUET)
Project Description:

Daughters, dUdes, mothErs & others fighting cancer Together (DUET) is a study funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research that seeks to recruit 56 dyads (112 total participants) consisting of an overweight or obese cancer survivor and an overweight or obese buddy of his or her choice for the purpose of testing an online weight loss intervention. The specific aims of this study include: 1) assessing whether or not dyads who assigned to the online intervention lose significantly more weight than those who are waitlisted; 2) explore between-arm differences in score changes between baseline and 6-month follow-up for other key outcomes including measures of adiposity (e.g., waist circumference [WC] and body mass index [BMI]), diet quality, physical activity, systolic blood pressure (BP), health-related Quality of Life (QoL), physical functioning and performance; 3) assess the impact of the intervention on select biomarkers associated with cancer risk and progression, e.g., tumor TNFα, insulin and IGF-1; and, 4) identify predictor variables associated with program efficacy, e.g., social support, self-efficacy, risk for depression, and dyad partner (spouse, relative, friend/neighbor). The DUET study will help us understand if cancer survivors who participate in online healthy eating and exercise programs, along with their chosen partners, are better able to lose weight and improve overall health. This study is currently being conducted remotely using virtual assessment methods via Zoom. Project opportunities include conducting remote virtual assessment of participants, debriefing participants, and assuring outcomes data quality. These opportunities are available for remote participation.

Assist with virtual assessments for anthropomorphic and physical function measure.

Assist with data quality checks and management.

Assist with participant screening and communication strategies and materials development.

Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following: 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: Possible
Areas in which the ideal candidates will have experience: Behavioral Science/Psychiatry, Cancer Rates, Trends and Statistics, Clinical Trials, Epidemiologic Methods, Interview Skills, Literature Review Skills, Manuscript Preparation for Submission to a Journal, Nutrition Sciences, Survivorship, NONE OF THE ABOVE (just the willingness to learn)

51LS – New strategy to treat mutant p53-expressing cancers

Status: Filled – Intern: Ben Michaels
Intern: Ben Michaels
Faculty Name: dr-le-su
UAB Department:
UAB School:
Campus Address: 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL 35806
Telephone Number: (256) 327-9659
Email: lsu@hudsonalpha.org or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 1
CCC Research Area: Cancer Biology
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. Christina Cooley (Research Associate)
2.
Title of Project: 51LS – New strategy to treat mutant p53-expressing cancers
Project Description:

Mutations in the p53 gene are present in more than half of all human cancers. The majority of these genetic alterations change the p53 tumor suppressor into a driver of malignant transformation. This so-called gain-of-function (GOF) activity is dependent on the molecular interaction of mutant p53 and other proteins. A thorough understanding of the proteins that bind to p53 mutants, as well as the pathways along which p53 mutations exert the oncogenic function, would assist the development of truly effective treatments. Here, we provide exciting evidence for the existence of a novel mutant p53 transcriptional complex which can directly activate the c-MET oncogene in multiple cancer cells. Our overarching goal is to generate direct evidence for using clinically applicable c-MET inhibitors as a therapeutic option for different forms of cancer expressing p53 mutants. To this end, we will (1) screen a panel of cancer cell lines for the presence of mutant p53/c-MET signaling and (2) examine the effectiveness of c-MET inhibition in cell culture assays. We respect the fact that mutant p53 acts upstream of the c-MET pathway and maintains its activity upon c-MET inhibition to compromise the drug sensitivity. In this regard, we have discovered a dramatic synergistic effect between c-MET and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in mutant p53-expressing synovial sarcoma cells, and will extend our study to many other cancer types. In summary, this proposal is based on a novel mechanism of mutant p53 action. This knowledge can be used to design new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diverse human cancers associated with various p53 mutations.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Huntsville, AL (HudsonAlpha)
Proposed Start Date: June 1, 2020
Proposed End Date: July 31, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Breast, Colon and rectum, Genetics, Liver, Lung and Bronchus, Ovary, Pancreas, Treatment, Multiple Cancer Sites
Does this project involve human subjects: No
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Measure c-MET transcript and protein levels in a large panel of human cancer cell lines expressing wild-type and mutant p53.

Determine the effect of mutant p53 deletion on c-MET transcript and protein expression in human cancer cells.

Test the in vitro efficacy of different c-MET inhibitors in mutant p53 cancers.

Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following:
Office or desk space, 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:
Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Grant Proposal Preparation, Laboratory Skills, basic knowledge, Laboratory Skills, advanced knowledge, Manuscript Preparation for Submission to a Journal, Molecular Biology, Scientific Writing Skills, (a) Functional Proteomics; (b) Gene Regulation

50MK – Evaluation of expression of the oncogene CDK9, 19 and CCNC in ovarian cancer.

Status: Waiting List Student #1: Danyon Beitel
Intern:
Faculty Name: mythreye-karthikeyan
UAB Department: Pathology
UAB School: Medicine
Campus Address: WTI 320 B 1824, 6th avenue S Birmingham AL
Telephone Number: (205) 934-2746
Email: mythreye@uab.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 0
CCC Research Area: Cancer Biology
Number of hours per week that the preceptor will personally supervise or work with the intern: 5
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Mehri Monavarian
2. Zainab Shonibare
Title of Project: 50MK – Evaluation of expression of the oncogene CDK9, 19 and CCNC in ovarian cancer.
Project Description:

The goal is to determine if CDK9, 19 and CCNC expression are increased or decreased in the different ovarian cancer subtypes.

Project Status: Will begin on or before the CaRES student’s start date
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 25, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Ovary
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Conduct experiments

analyze data

present data

Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following:
Office or desk space, 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, Cell Biology, Laboratory Skills, basic knowledge, Laboratory Skills, advanced knowledge, Literature Review Skills

49MK – Evaluating CDK8 inhibition in combination with standard of care for ovarian cancer

Status: Available
Intern:
Faculty Name: Mythreye Karthikeyan
UAB Department: Pathology
UAB School: WTI 320B
Campus Address: 1824 6th Ave S
Telephone Number: (205) 934-2746
Email: mythreye@uab.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 0
CCC Research Area: Cancer Biology
Number of hours per week that the preceptor will personally supervise or work with the intern: 5
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Mehri Monavarian
2. Alex Choi
Title of Project: Evaluating CDK8 inhibition in combination with standard of care for ovarian cancer
Project Description:

CDK8 is a transcriptional kinase and we have access to a highly selective inhibitor that has shown promise in pre clinical studies. The goal for the student is to conduct experiments on cell lines to evaluate CDK8 inhibition along side platinum and ten standard of care drugs currently in use.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 11, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Ovary
Does this project involve human subjects: No
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

conduct experiments

analyze data

make presentation

48BR – Role of Arteriolar Differentiation in Breast Cancer Metastasis

Status: Filled – Intern: Ruth Mokua
Intern: Ruth Mokua
Faculty Name: bin-ren-2
UAB Department: Surgery
UAB School: Medicine
Campus Address: WTI630
Telephone Number: (205) 996-2582
Email: bren@uabmc.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 1
CCC Research Area: Cancer Biology
Number of hours per week that the preceptor will personally supervise or work with the intern: 2
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Ana Karen Gutierrez
2. Gloria Yuan
Title of Project: 48BR – Role of Arteriolar Differentiation in Breast Cancer Metastasis
Project Description:

Arteriolar endothelial cells (ECs) promote self-renewal of CSCs by direct cell-cell contact via Notch activation or indirect cytokine production. LPA/PKD-1 signaling-mediated arteriolar differentiation of ECs via inducing arterial markers, ephrin B2 and delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4, also a ligand for Notch) and regulation of CD36 (an angiogenesis regulator in ECs) may create the arteriolar niche to enhance BCSC self-renewal capacity. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a lipid signaling mediator, switches microvascular EC (MVEC) to an “arteriolar phenotype” via LPA/PKD-1 signaling and chromatin remodeling-mediated CD36 downregulation, likely contributing to the progression of estrogen positive (ER+) BC. Seminal studies showed that CD36 drives stemness of CSCs and increases their metastatic potential. We have also identified CD36+- and PKD-1+-CSCs in human ER+BC specimens. Notably, we have observed the enrichment of the CSCs in the arteriolar niche. Moreover, LPA antagonist or PKD inhibitor inhibits ER+BCSC self-renewal. We propose that LPA antagonist or PKD inhibitor may maintain or stimulate CD36 expression in tumor-associated ECs (TAECs), and inhibits arteriolar remodeling in the TME and stemness of BCSCs. Our central hypothesis is that LPA/PKD-1 signaling promotes arteriolar differentiation and remodeling and CSC self-renewal in ER+BC and that the use of an LPA antagonist or PKD inhibitor in combination with a CD36 inhibitor can effectively disrupt arteriolar niche and eliminate BCSCs to control tumor metastasis.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 4, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 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: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Breast
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: Yes
Duty:
1.

Perform breast cancer cell and endothelial cell culture and study the molecular mechanisms

Learn how to design experiments and interpret data, and prepare presentation

Present the research results in the lab meeting and present a poster in UAB meeting or national meeting if possible.

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:
Animal Research, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Pathology, Pharmacology

47SA – CryoEM of Novel Anti-Cancer Biotechnology

Status: Filled – Intern: Zoe Luethener
Intern: Zoe Luethener
Faculty Name: steve-aller
UAB Department: Pharmacology & Toxicology
UAB School: School of Medicine (SOM)
Campus Address: 1025 18th Street South
Telephone Number: (205) 975-5010
Email: sgaller@uab.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 0
CCC Research Area: Experimental Therapeutics
Number of hours per week that the preceptor will personally supervise or work with the intern: 10
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Mr. Cole Martin
2. Dr. David Chester
Title of Project: 47SA – CryoEM of Novel Anti-Cancer Biotechnology
Project Description:

During our characterization of the structure of a novel bacterial toxin, we have determined that the toxin architecture is comprised of a highly redundant antibody-like (IgG-like) domains for recognizing and binding to cell surface targets. The targeting mechanism of the wildtype toxin is highly specific because it targets insects but is not harmful to mammalian cells. We propose that the endogenous IgG-like domains can be replaced, and other modifications can be made, that will allow us to switch the targeting of the toxin to membrane proteins that are upregulated and/or overexpressed at the surface of human cancer cells. If successful, our engineering of the toxin will allow a novel cell delivery, targeting and killing agent – all in one protein that is inexpensive to produce, and may have advantages over current immunotherapies such as monoclonal antibodies or CAR-T therapies. This project will focus considerably on the processing of cryoEM data for various constructs of the toxin, potentially including some cryoEM data acquisition. The ideal student will already have experience in structural biology, and will learn cutting-edge data processing methods. In the event that the option arises, the student will accompany the laboratory to a state-of-the-art facility in Ohio and participate in collecting high-resolution cryoEM data.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 4, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 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: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Multiple Cancer Sites
Does this project involve human subjects: No
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Computational work, cryoEM data processing (software Relion-3, imod, pymol, chimera, linux).

Some lab benchwork, cell culture

None.

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: Possible
Areas in which the ideal candidates will have experience:
Biochemistry, Computer Programming, Molecular Biology

46GD – Leveraging Ongoing Home Visitation Programs to Address Obesity Disparities among Underserved, Low-Income Mothers and Children (HABITS)

Status: Filled – Intern: Timberly Washington
Intern: Timberly Washington
Faculty Name: gareth-r-dutton
UAB Department: Department of Medicine/Division of Preventive Medicine
UAB School: School of Medicine
Campus Address: 1717 11th Avenue South, Medical Towers 615
Telephone Number: (205) 934-6876
Email: gdutton@uabmc.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: 2
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Camille Schneider-Worthington
2. Janice Phillips
Title of Project: 46GD – Leveraging Ongoing Home Visitation Programs to Address Obesity Disparities among Underserved, Low-Income Mothers and Children (HABITS)
Project Description:

This study addresses obesity and health-related disparities among socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers and their young children enrolled in federally-funded home visitation programs. This is important because low-income and racial/ethnic minority mothers and their young children are especially at-risk of obesity. The lack of access to evidence-based obesity efforts further contributes to these disparities. The proposed randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness of (1) a simple, evidence-based and ecologically relevant obesity intervention (HABITS) delivered as part of ongoing home visitation services, compared to (2) the existing home visitation curriculum without obesity-related content on mothers’ and children’s obesity risks. HABITS focuses on habit formation and modifications to the food/activity home environment to promote changes in the targeted weight-related behaviors.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 4, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Clinical (Patient Care) Research
Cancer topic: Diet and Nutrition, Obesity
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Prepare and coordinate assessments and data collection visits

Data entry and data management

Assist with preparation and refinement of intervention materials

Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following:
Office or desk space, Computer and printer, 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: Possible
Areas in which the ideal candidates will have experience:
Interview Skills, Minorities and Health, Nutrition Sciences, Obesity and Diet

45GD – Primary Care Obesity Management in the Southeast (PROMISE)

Status: Filled – Intern: Madi Bruce
Intern: Madi Bruce
Faculty Name: gareth-r-dutton-2
UAB Department: Department of Medicine/Division of Preventive Medicine
UAB School: School of Medicine
Campus Address: 1717 11th Avenue South, Medical Towers 615
Telephone Number: (205) 934-6876
Email: gdutton@uabmc.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: 2
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help to supervise the intern:
1. Janice Phillips
2. Sara Hannum
Title of Project: 45GD – Primary Care Obesity Management in the Southeast (PROMISE)
Project Description:

This project addresses strategies to treat obesity through primary care practices. The study includes an 18-month randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of obesity treatment that includes either: 1) in-person and telephone-based contacts with peer coaches (peer coach treatment), or 2) routine contact with a primary care provider plus self-directed intervention materials (standard care). This weight loss trial includes 375 adults with obesity randomized from UAB primary care practices. The primary outcome will be changes in body weight at month 18. Secondary outcomes will include key patient-centered outcomes, including quality-of-life, physical and social functioning, mood, and treatment satisfaction.

Project Status: Already up and running
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 4, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 2020
Expected work schedule for intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule (as for students who are instructed how to proceed and are permitted to work independently with weekly guidance) and should contribute full-time effort.
Category of Project: Clinical (Patient Care) Research
Cancer topic: Diet and Nutrition, Obesity
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Assist with data collection with participants

Assist with data entry and data management

Schedule data collection visits with participants

44CT – Understanding Oral Cavity Microbiome and Tumor Microenvironment Cross-talk

Status: Filled – Intern: Payal Patel
Intern: Payal Patel
Faculty Name: carissa-m-thomas-md-phd
UAB Department: Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
UAB School: UAB School of Medicine
Campus Address: 1155 Faculty Office Towers (510 20th Street South) and Volker Hall (1670 University Blvd)
Telephone Number: (713) 515-2852
Email: carissathomas@uabmc.edu or Click to Send E-Mail
For how many summers have you served as a preceptor: 0
CCC Research Area: Inflammation, Immunology, and Immunotherapeutics
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. Dr. Jason Warram
2.
Title of Project: 44CT – Understanding Oral Cavity Microbiome and Tumor Microenvironment Cross-talk
Project Description:

The human microbiome has been found to play an important role in carcinogenesis in a number of cancers. Certain bacteria within the microbiome may modulate the local and systemic immune system and tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote or inhibit tumor progression and metastases. The oral cavity has an extensive mucosal microbiome (700 taxa) that has not been well characterized in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). In OCSCC, increased peritumoral inflammation is associated with decreased metastases and increased recurrence free survival. There may be a link between the mucosal microbial community and peritumoral inflammation in OCSCC. If we knew candidate bacterial drivers that modulate inflammation, we could modify the microbiome, peritumoral inflammation and TME to create a more favorable phenotype. Our hypothesis is the oral microbiome in OCSCC is stable over time and influences the peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate and subsequent cytokine production and PD-L1 expression. We aim to delineate a map of the mucosal microbiome of OCSCC and to correlate that map with histologic features of the tumor. A patient-derived OCSCC organoid model system will be used to study bacteria-induced changes in cytokine production and PD-L1 expression. This will lay the foundation for understanding interactions between bacteria, the immune system, and TME. We will answer these questions with the following specific aims:

(a) AIM 1. Characterize the microbiome within different subsites of OCSCC to understand the heterogeneity of the microbiome and to assess microbiome stability over time.

(b) AIM 2. Characterize the microbiome of OCSCC compared to the contralateral uninvolved side to discover potentially important bacterial drivers of the peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate.

(c) AIM 3. Establish OCSCC organoids co-cultured with macrophages to understand microbiome-induced alterations in cytokine production and PD-L1 expression.

The CaRES intern will focus primarily on aim 3 and gain important skills in cell culture and flow cytometry. They will use a human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line to establish organoids. Flow cytometry will be used to assess baseline expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells. In addition, expression of PD-L1 on naïve macrophages and macrophages exposed to bacteria of interest will be assessed with flow cytometry. In addition, the CaRES intern will assist with microbiome sample collection from patients with OCSCC including administering patient surveys, performing oral swabs, peripheral blood collection, processing of peripheral blood, and fresh tumor collection from the operating room. There is the opportunity for the CaRES intern to observe head and neck cancer surgeries if interested.

Project Status: Will begin on or before the CaRES student’s start date
Location of Project: Birmingham, AL (UAB)
Proposed Start Date: May 4, 2020
Proposed End Date: August 28, 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: Laboratory Research
Cancer topic: Head and Neck, Oral Cavity
Does this project involve human subjects: Yes
Does this project involve animal subjects: No
Duty:
1.

Culturing organoids using a human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line as well as culturing monocytes/macrophages.

Flow cytometry of epithelial cells and monocytes/macrophages for PD-L1.

Assisting with microbiome sample collection including peripheral blood collection and processing and transporting tumor tissue from the operating room to the lab. Will also assist with administering patient surveys.