Analysis of mRNA expression profile in normal and tumor thyroid cell lines exposed to Bisphenol A and Roundup®

• Grant number: 23/12993-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Laura Sterian
• Grantee: Laura Sterian
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Paula Soares Dias Ferreira ; Irena Dus-Ilnicka ; Natassia Elena Bufalo ; Valdemar de Jesus Conde Máximo

Abstract

The increased incidence of benign and malignant thyroid nodules may be related to exposure to environmental factors such as endocrine disruptors (EDs). This project aims to investigate the molecular effects on normal and tumor thyroid cells exposed to two EDs that are widely used in our environment: Bisphenol A and Roundup herbicide. In a previous project (FAPESP# 2020/02167-3), we showed that both cause an important cytotoxic effect, even at doses considered acceptable by ANVISA. However, this effect differs in tumor cell lines with different genetic profiles. We also demonstrated that Roundup has a proliferative effect, mainly on neoplastic cells, but this effect decreases with exposure time. Little is known about the mechanism of action of these EDs and which pathways they act on thyroid cells. We will use next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify the genomic effects of different concentrations of these EDs in different thyroid lineages through the RNA-seq technique. The current project involves two Doctoral theses in progress (Izabela Fernanda Dal' Bó Cruz-FAPESP Scholarship and Elisangela de Souza Teixeira-CAPES Scholarship), continuing the previous project, which generated a master's thesis, an article published in Frontiers in Endocrinology and other articles in the writing and/or submission phase. Our group includes researchers from Portugal and Poland, in a solid and well-consolidated network of collaboration with extensive expertise in the area. (AU)