Research

Medical Sciences

Title :

The tumor immune microenvironment of follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinomas across different grades utilizing gene expression and spatial proteomic profiling

Area of research :

Medical Sciences

Focus area :

Oncology, Immunology

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Shipra Agarwal, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi

Timeline Start Year :

2023

Timeline End Year :

2026

Contact info :

Details

Executive Summary :

Thyroid carcinoma is a common endocrinological malignancy, with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) having a good prognosis and being amenable to radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. However, 50% of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTC) and all anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATC) are RAI-resistant. DTCs with high-grade histological features, such as increased mitotic activity, proliferation index, and necrosis, have been re-classified by the WHO into a separate group called 'follicular-derived carcinoma, high-grade (HGTC).' HGTC and ATC are often large, involving soft tissues of the neck, blood vessels, lymph node, and distant metastases. Overall survival of HGTC is about 50% at 10 years, while less than 6 months for more than 95% ATC patients. Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic option in aggressive malignancies, as immune checkpoint inhibition activates antitumoral immune response, regulating tumor growth. However, response depends on the existence of appropriate tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), such as tumor-reactive T cells. Limited literature exists on the status of TIME in thyroid carcinomas, and most studies have evaluated small panels of biomolecules. The nCounter technology (NanoString Technologies) is a highly multiplexed method that reliably detects hundreds of nucleic acid/protein targets, making it useful in ATC and rare cancers like HGTC and ATC. The study aims to elucidate TIME of follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinomas using NanoString-based profiling of RNA and proteins, comparing results between low and high-grade tumors.

Co-PI:

Dr. Mehar Chand Sharma, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. Chandrasekhar Bal, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. Sameer Rastogi, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. Riyaz Ahmad Mir, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. Babul Bansal, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. Sunil Chumber, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029, Dr. SVS Deo, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-110029

Total Budget (INR):

66,80,680

Organizations involved