Eicosanoids and the biology of gliomas - modulation by polyunsaturated fatty acids

• Grant number: 18/15646-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: Alison Colquhoun
• Grantee: Alison Colquhoun
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of the n-6 family, octadecatrienoic acid (18: 3 n-6) or gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), is an inhibitor of glioma cell proliferation and migration. GLA and the n-3 PUFA's, eicosapentaenoic (20:5 n-3) (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6, n-3) (DHA) acids, can influence various aspects of cell proliferation and death, as well as interfere with the migration and cell invasion processes of various tumours. Although these effects are reported in the literature, the mechanisms of action of these PUFA's are less well known in gliomas and their comprehension will be the target of study of the proposed project. EPA and DHA will be the fatty acids of choice since the effects of PUFA's n-3 are less studied in gliomas than those of the n-6 family. The project aims to better understand the pathways by which EPA and DHA interfere in the biology of gliomas. The main items chosen to study are the mechanisms of control of the cell cycle, apoptosis, cell migration and invasion, fatty acid and eicosanoid metabolism, and resistance to chemotherapy. The effects of n-3 PUFA's on the expression of mRNA and proteins of importance for the biological processes specifically mentioned will be studied in glioma. The effect of n-3 PUFA's on chemo resistance in glioma cells sensitive and resistant to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo will also be analysed in this project. It is expected that this approach will yield valuable data to better understand the action of n-3 PUFA's on glioma cells both in vitro and in vivo and to identify whether they have the potential to improve cellular response to chemotherapy in this notoriously difficult to treat tumour. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA, JANAINA ALESSANDRA; COLQUHOUN, ALISON. Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Temozolomide Drug-Sensitive and Drug-Resistant Glioblastoma Cells. BIOMEDICINES, v. 11, n. 3, p. 21-pg., 2023-03-01. (18/15646-7, 22/07090-4, 15/18311-8)