Expression of hsa-miR-367 and aggressiveness of human medulloblastoma.

• Grant number: 13/02983-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal researcher: Oswaldo Keith Okamoto
• Grantee: Carolini Kaid Dávila
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children up to four years of age. Many patients do not respond to available treatments, which makes medulloblastoma the major cause of morbidity and mortality by childhood cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that activation of genes typically expressed in stem cells confers more primitive and aggressive features to the tumor cells, which are often associated with unfavorable clinical prognosis. Factors from the tumor microenvironment may stimulate cell reprogramming and induce a stem-like phenotype in cancer cells. There are many evidences in the literature about the relevance of miRNAs in regulating intrinsic stem cell properties and tumor malignancy. Recent studies suggest the involvement of hsa-miR-367 in fibroblasts reprogramming to a pluripotent state. Differential expression of hsa-miR-367 has also been recently correlated with poor prognosis in some cancers. However, functional studies demonstrating the direct contribution of this miRNA in tumor aggressiveness is still lacking. Thus, in this project we will test whether the artificial expression of hsa-miR-367 affects aggressiveness of human medulloblastoma cells, in attempt to better understand the mechanisms involved in acquisition of the cancer stem cell phenotype and its clinical implications.

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)

KAID, CAROLINI; JORDAN, DIONE; DE SIQUEIRA BUENOS, HELOISA MARIA; SILVA ARAUJO, BRUNO HENRIQUE; ASSONI, AMANDA; OKAMOTO, OSWALDO KEITH. miR-367 as a therapeutic target in stem-like cells from embryonal central nervous system tumors. MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY, v. 13, n. 12 AUG 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

GONCALVES DA SILVA, PATRICIA BENITES; TEIXEIRA DOS SANTOS, MARCIA CRISTINA; RODINI, CAROLINA OLIVEIRA; KAID, CAROLINI; LEITE PEREIRA, MARCIA CRISTINA; FURUKAWA, GABRIELA; GIMENES DA CRUZ, DANIEL SANZIO; GOLDFEDER, MAURICIO BARBUGIANI; REILY ROCHA, CLARISSA RIBEIRO; ROSENBERG, CARLA; OKAMOTO, OSWALDO KEITH. High OCT4A levels drive tumorigenicity and metastatic potential of medulloblastoma cells. ONCOTARGET, v. 8, n. 12, p. 19192-19204, 2017. Web of Science Citations: 3.

KAID, CAROLINI; SILVA, PATRICIA B. G.; CORTEZ, BEATRIZ A.; RODINI, CAROLINA O.; SEMEDO-KURIKI, PATRICIA; OKAMOTO, OSWALDO K. miR-367 promotes proliferation and stem-like traits in medulloblastoma cells. Cancer Science, v. 106, n. 9, p. 1188-1195, SEP 2015. Web of Science Citations: 23.