IMMUNOCYTOCHEMISTRY ANALYSIS OF PROTEIN EXPRESSION OF ROCK KINASE IN BREAST CANCER IN RESPONSE TO TREATMENT WITH MELATONIN

• Grant number: 11/18986-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Debora Aparecida Pires de Campos Zuccari
• Grantee: Vanessa Alves Fabri
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Today breast cancer is a cancer that affects more women in the world with high mortality rate mainly related to late diagnosis and tumor metastasis. The metastatic cells have a skeletal little structure and a low anchor that allows the invasiveness of cells. The migration and anchorage, which occur through rearrangements of cytoskeleton the actin of the cell are processes regulated by external signals and intracellular effectors, including protein Rho-associated kinase (ROCK). Thus, the expression of ROCK is negatively correlated to the survival of patients with breast cancer, and increased in late-stage tumors and metastases. Some studies have shown that melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, presents oncostatics effects and anti-metastatic. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of treatment with melatonin on ROCK-mediated metastasis in breast cancer. The protein expression of ROCK will be analyzed through the technique of immunocytochemistry. Informations obtained in this study can contribute to evidence for future therapeutic applications of melatonin in cancer patients, reducing tumor growth and metastasis formation.

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)

BORIN, THAIZ FERRAZ; ARBAB, ALI SYED; GELALETI, GABRIELA BOTTARO; FERREIRA, LIVIA CARVALHO; MOSCHETTA, MARINA GOBBE; JARDIM-PERASSI, BRUNA VICTORASSO; ISKANDER, A. S. M.; VARMA, NADIMPALLI RAVI S.; SHANKAR, ADARSH; COIMBRA, VERENA BENEDICK; et al. Melatonin decreases breast cancer metastasis by modulating Rho-associated kinase protein-1 expression. Journal of Pineal Research, v. 60, n. 1, p. 3-15, JAN 2016. (11/13154-0, 11/18986-4, 11/18987-0, 12/12114-8, 11/20850-3)