Evaluation of prohibitin role in developing resistance to chemotherapeutic treatment against melanomas

• Grant number: 06/01937-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2006
• End date: August 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Roger Chammas
• Grantee: Tharcisio Citrangulo Tortelli Junior
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Melanoma incidence is increasing worldwide. Besides its increasing importance in Public Health, melanomas represent a clinical challenge, as their treatment outcome is still poor. Objective responses to chemotherapy is usually lower than 30% in the more advanced cases. The molecular bases for chemoresistance are poorly understood so far. Many authors propose that on knowing the molecular basis for resistance, one could design a more appropriate strategy for treatment. In a previous study involving our group, we had observed an increase in the amounts of prohibitin in melanoma cells which survived cisplatin treatment. Prohibitin is found in several subcellular compartments within the cell. Nuclear prohibitin seems associated with cell death, while mitochondrial prohibitin seems a chaperone to newly synthesized respiratory chain proteins. In this project, our aim is to determine how the compartmentalization of prohibitin associates with response to chemotherapy, the eventual existence of prohibitin isoforms within these distinct cellular compartments and the effects of knocking down prohibitin using siRNA strategy. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

TORTELLI JUNIOR, Tharcisio Citrangulo. Evaluation of the role of prohibitin in the development of resistance in cisplatin-treated human melanomas cells. 2008. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD) São Paulo.