We have obtained 130 medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) samples from Washington University in St. Louis and the National Cancer Institute. We have substantial clinical data about the anonymous patients who donated the tissues. We have conducted array Comparative Genome Hybridization (aCGH) studies on the tissues and have analyzed the data . We are in the process of preparing DNA libraries to place on a 200 cancer gene platform to determine if there are mutations other than of the RET protooncogene that are present in these MTC tissues. Following analysis of the data from the 200 cancer gene study we plan to study selected tissues by exomic sequencing and then full genomic sequencing. Correlations between molecular data and clinical data will then be determined. We have also studied MTC tissue DNA to analyze signaling pathways. It is apparent that the AKT pathway is activated in MTC tissues indicating that small molecules that block the AKT pathway may be effective in the treatment of patients with advanced MTC.
