Determination of the invasive potential of cancer cells isolated from malignant mammary tumors of bitches and the effect of the guaraná extract, Paullinia cupana

• Grant number: 13/18772-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Heidge Fukumasu
• Grantee: Sirlene Aparecida Gomes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Metastasis is the principal cause of death in female dogs with mammary carcinomas after going through mastectomy and is associated with poor survival after surgery. Recent studies have shown and isolated a population of cells having the ability of selfrenewal and potencial of cell differentiation; these characteristics are similar to stem cells, and they were pointed as the main cause of recurrence and metastasis. Determine the migratory and invasive ability of a tumor is essencial to develop new strategies against cancer, as invasion and metastasis are related. Thus, our purpose in this project is to study cell invasion, which relevance is to search new therapeutic targets and to screen substances that may be characterized as antineoplastic and / or chemopreventive. In this context, we focused on Guarana (Paullinia cupana), which was evalueted by our group in several experimental models, showing chemopreventive and anticancer effects. Therefore, we intend to assess the metastatic potential in cell lines derived from malignant mammary gland tumors in dogs, and then evaluate the effects of the extract P. cupana. Invasiveness will be analyzed through Transwell invasion assay and later, evaluated the potential for inhibition of invasion and migration of the active principles in the extract to be tested. (AU)