| Grant number: | 13/04829-0 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | July 01, 2013 |
| Effective date (End): | February 28, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology |
| Principal Investigator: | Miriam Galvonas Jasiulionis |
| Grantee: | Ana Carolina Monteiro |
| Home Institution: | Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 16/09179-1 - The role of miRNA-298 in melanoma metastasis, BE.EP.DR |
Abstract Melanoma, tumor arising from melanocytes malignant transformation, is the most aggressive skin cancer. This tumor has elevated metastatic potencial and presents high resistance to treatments and, therefore, metastatic melanoma is currently considered an incurable disease. Among the molecules possibly involved in the genesis of this tumor are the microRNAs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules of about 22 nucleotides that regulate gene transcription by degradating target mRNA or by inhibiting protein translation. MiRNAs regulate approximately 30% of human mRNAs and are essential components of the control of several physiological processes, including cell proliferation, development and apoptosis. Recent studies indicate that miRNAs are involved in the progression of melanoma by targeting important mRNA pathways in this process, but little is known about how miRNAs are involved in the acquisition of metastatic phenotype by melanomas. Moreover, these molecules are promising tumor biomarkers. It was developed in our laboratory a murine model of melanocyte malignant transformation in which cell lines representing different phenotypes associated with melanoma were established after submitting the non-tumorigenic melanocyte lineage melan-a to sequential cycles of anchorage blockade. In this context, the main aims of this study are: identify pro-metastatic genes upregulated in the metastatic murine melanoma cell line 4C11+ relative to the non-metastatic murine melanoma cell line 4C11-; identify microRNAs targeting the mRNAs transcripts by these genes and having low expression in the 4C11+ cell line relative to the 4C11- lineage; ascertain the contribution of these miRNAs in the melanoma metastasis process. Besides better understanding the role of miRNAs in the metastatic phenotype of melanoma, this study may identify miRNAs as predictors of aggressiveness. (AU) | |