Alcohol can modify antigen processing and presentation through extracellular vesicles that favor immune evasion

• Grant number: 22/03695-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Agreement: Monash University
• Principal Investigator: Adriana Franco Paes Leme
• Grantee: Adriana Franco Paes Leme
• Principal researcher abroad: Anthony Purcell
• Institution abroad: Monash University, Australia
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ariane Fidelis Busso Lopes
• Associated research grant: 18/18496-6 - The role of alcohol treated-extracellular vesicles in oral cells transformation, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/13638-2 - Alcohol can modify antigen processing and presentation through extracellular vesicles that favor immune evasion, BP.TT

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of head and neck malignant tumor. Alcohol exposure is strongly associated with OSCC carcinogenesis, modifying the microenvironment. Our hypothesis is that alcohol exposure changes antigen processing and presentation through keratinocytes and fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) that promote tolerance and suppress the immune system, collectively resulting in oral cancer initiation. We will apply mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidome profiling to identity and quantify the HLA-complex peptides (pHLA) (1), directly, from alcohol-treated and non-treated fibroblast and keratinocyte-derived EVs and (2), cross-presented antigen from dendritic cells exposed to EVs as a source of antigen. (AU)