NEWS|GOLD CREST
Thyroid Cancer Over the summer of 2019, our Gold CREST group (Ashley, Lawou and Zaynah) undertook a two-week placement at the University of Birmingham School of Medical and Dental Sciences, in the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research. The aim of our project was to evaluate whether dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) affected protein levels of sodium iodide symporter (NIS), or instead increased transport of NIS to the plasma membrane of follicular thyroid cells. Our hypothesis was that increasing DMSO concentration leads to an accumulation of NIS protein in the cell. To prove our hypothesis, we carried out a Western Blot to detect the levels of NIS protein in solution with samples which were exposed to increasing concentrations of DMSO. If our results displayed bands of NIS protein increasing in size, we would prove our hypothesis.
Our aims for this project were to become familiar with a range of molecular research techniques and understand how they may be applied to medical research. This we did successfully! We really enjoyed our CREST project - it improved our research skills, our practical technique, and has given us an insight into our future careers! This project was completed under the supervision and guidance of Dr Vicki Smith, Dr Paul Foster and PhD Student Caitlin Thornton. Our investigation focused on thyroid cancer, and how certain drugs or solvents increase or decrease the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
Ashley Kabue, U6th Student
