Iron metabolism as an alternative to modulation of Th2 responses: therapeutic perspective for allergic asthma and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis

• Grant number: 12/12590-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 20, 2012
• End date: December 20, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre de Castro Keller
• Grantee: Alexandre de Castro Keller
• Host Investigator: Ivan Cruz Moura
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), France

Abstract

The focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and is associated with an increasing number of dialysis and transplantation. The allergic asthma is a chronic disease that is increasing worldwide in the last decades. Because of the high levels of mortality and morbidity both diseases are considered as a socioeconomic problem. This situation is aggravated by the increase in the number of corticoid-resistant patients. Results from our laboratory show that the coexistence of both diseases increases the mortality rate and accelerates the loss of the renal function. Therefore, the development of therapeutic alternatives to the management of both diseases can be helpful to the treatment of both diseases, individually or when they manifest together. In this sense, the intervention on iron metabolism has been described to be efficient to modulate diseases as asthma, proliferative glomerulonephritis and cancer. This phenomenon is related with the removal of oxidants agents that are associated with iron metabolism, as hydroxyl, iron-oxygen complexes as ferryl or perferryl ions, etc. However, the mechanisms involved in this process remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this project is to establish, in collaboration with Dr. Moura an efficient methodology to study the modulation of iron metabolism as an alternative approach to asthma and FSGS management. To this end, we will use experimental models of allergic asthma induced by ovalbumin sensitization and adriamycin-induced FSGS. In addition to the scientific contribution to the field, the standardization of these models will allow the exchange of students among our laboratories and will turn the "sandwich" period more profitable to student's projects. (AU)