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Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine student Shuaa Rizvi (AZCOM ’27) and graduate of the Biomedical Sciences Program (CGS-Downers Grove MBS ’23) was honored with a first-place win in the Basic Research Category during the 2024 Arizona Medical Association’s Annual Meeting for the project “Identification of Stratifin as a Potential Biomarker for Oral Cancer Progression.” The project began during the pursuit of her master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences on the Downers Grove Campus under the mentorship of Hilal Arnouk, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pathology, (CGS-Downers Grove). 

“I didn’t think I was going to win, as this is my first year in medical school. When my name was called, it was very exciting. It meant the research I’m doing is up to the caliber of what we think about when we consider the standards of translational medical research,” Shuaa said. She added, “I think the educational support at ɫ�����Ƶ for this kind of research is also very prevalent and supportive.”

Shuaa utilized a novel Proteomics approach to identify potential biomarkers in the progression of oral cancer, Dr. Arnouk said. She examined the expression of Stratifin, a tumor suppressor, in the successive steps of oral cancer progression from normal, to pre-malignant, to locally invasive cancer, then to metastatic cancer phenotypes. Her study employed Western blotting, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, which separates proteins by charge and molecular weight, mass spectrometry, and Bioinformatics tools.

The findings indicated that Stratifin appears in different quantities dependent on the step of cancer progression, Dr. Arnouk shared. Specifically, the amount of Stratifin is abundant in the normal cells and a significant decline in Stratifin expression begins to appear in the pre-malignant cells, followed by further decline in the locally invasive cancer, while the metastatic cancer phenotype has the lowest levels of Stratifin, consistent with the biological role of Stratifin as a tumor suppressor.

Shuaa said she was impacted the most by the overall scope of the project and “what it can mean for the future of trying to find not only diagnostic biomarkers, but prognostic indicators for cancer patients as well.” 

She also discussed how her experience at ɫ�����Ƶ contributed to the project. “I think the educational support from ɫ�����Ƶ is very prevalent,” Shuaa said, adding that the project will also prepare her for future medical residency. “Research like this is important in becoming in tune with scientific advancements and being able to discuss the advancements with patients,” she said. 

In addition, Shuaa shared the importance of the support from her mentor, Dr. Arnouk. “The biggest impact he’s made on me is giving me a sense of responsibility when conducting research. He paved the way to support me in my goals, which has been huge in my educational journey.” She also said that Dr. Arnouk imparted valuable advice about different avenues of research as well as becoming a successful physician-scientist. 

Dr. Arnouk reflected on Shuaa’s work. “Her work ethic and motivation allowed this project to succeed. Importantly, oral cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, which is associated with poor prognosis and decreased survival rates for the patients. Shuaa utilized an innovative proteomics approach to identify molecular biomarkers can be used to augment the predictive power of morphological pathology examination and to aid in the early detection of oral cancer, which will translate from bench-to-bedside by improving the survival rates in patients inflicted with this type of malignant tumors.”  

Research opportunities are one of the ways an education at ɫ�����Ƶ assists students in their journeys of becoming patient-centered healthcare professionals. Student participation in events like the 2024 Arizona Medical Association’s Annual Meeting also prepares students to present their research process and findings in addition to conducting the research.