14
|
Volume2 Issue8
CDA
at
W
ork
isolatedworldand thenyoumeet other students
whoare living the same lifestyleandweall just
connected.”
Secondprizewas awarded to Jessie (Xin) Zhang
fromMcGill University, alongwithher fellow
McGill collaborator,MichelleChan. Their research
examined theeffectsof selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonlyprescribed
for depressionandanxietydisorders, onbone
healingand implant osseointegration. Her
research found that useof SSRIs is a risk factor for
implant failureandmay impair osseointegration.
As runner up,Ms. Zhang receivedaprizeof $1000.
“I feel very lucky tohavebeenapart of the
program,” saysMs. Zhang. “I got tomeet somany
great dentists andeveryone fromdifferent schools
acrossCanada.”
TheDENTSPLY student clinician researchprogram
hasbeen running since1971 inCanadaand
operates internationally in36countries. The
program’s aim is to “stimulate ideas, to improve
communicationandmost of all, to increase
student involvement in theadvancement of the
dental profession.”
a
Visit
to readall 10abstracts
submitted for the2015program.
Winner of the2015
CDA/DENTSPLY
StudentClinician
ResearchProgram:
DaniaAlkhani,
University of
Saskatchewan
(L. to r.) BobLeavens, directorofmarketing,DENTSPLYCanada;
Dr. TeresaA.Dolan, vice-president andchief clinical officer,
DENTSPLY International; 2ndprizewinners Jessie (Xin) Zhang,
McGillUniversityandMichelleChan,McGillUniversity;
Dr. AlastairNicoll, CDApresident.
Dania
Alkhani
explains
herwinning
project
“We aimed to develop amore effective, less invasive
way of treating oral cancer. The main method of
treating oral cancer currently is through invasive
surgery; it’s called Mohs surgery. There’s also
radiation therapy that can be given in conjunction
with surgery, but it’s very invasive and technique
sensitive. We aimed to synthesize a compound that
dentists canpotentially give topatients as either oral
medicationor an injection.
We manipulated a compound that had already
been screened against SCC in a previous study and
synthesized 3 new compounds.
We took all 4 compounds, in-
cluding the one that’s out in
literature, and screened it against
3 different cell lines of human
SCCand alsonormal oral tissue.
We wanted to determine if our
compounds target cancer cellsmore than they target
normal cells.We used a selectivity index, which is a
ratioof howmuchmore potent the compound is to-
wards cancer cells than it is tonormal cells. Potency
is a measure of the compound concentration that’s
needed tobe effective inkilling cancer cells.
We found that one compound was 10 times more
potent than the compound that’s out in literature,
whichwasabigdeal tous.And itwasabout6.4 times
more selective towards cancer cells than normal
cells.We are aiming to establish a “lead compound,”
which means it has a selectivity index of greater
than10; ourswas sittingat6.4.We’re still at thevery
beginning stages, but there ispotential.”
Dr. JonathanDimmock isMs.Alkhani’s research
advisor.
a
To listen toan
interviewwith
Ms. Alkhani, see:
