Clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of the stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) tumoral expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas

• Grant number: 19/21835-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2020
• End date: January 10, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio da Rocha Dourado
• Grantee: Izabella Sabrina Guedes Barros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Despite the advances in disease management, the survival rates have not improved in the last decades, remaining around 50-60% in 5 years. The tools currently available for clinical staging and treatment decision have not been effective in improving these rates. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and validate new prognostic tools in OSCC. In recent years, our group performed several studies based on proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry, and the stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) was identified as exclusively expressed in invasive tumor cells. In clinical samples, high STIP1 expression has been related to worse prognosis in breast, ovary, liver, and thyroid. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinicopathologic significance and prognostic value of STIP1 in OSCC. Immunohistochemistry analysis will be applied to 93 paraffinembedded blocks from therapeutic surgical resection, obtained from two Oncologic Hospitals in Cascavel-PR. STIP1 immunostaining will be analyzed by two researchers previously calibrated, and blinded to clinical data. For statistical analysis, chi-squares test, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression will be applied. With this study, we expect to verify and validate de prognostic value of STIP1 in OSCC, which could reflect on future improvement in the disease treatment.