Sonic Hedgehog signaling proteins during oral squamous carcinoma cells adhesion.

• Grant number: 14/03927-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2014
• End date: May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Willian Fernando Zambuzzi
• Grantee: Isabel Greco Tavora
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cancers of the head and neck are the most prevalent in the world. In this context, oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant tumor that originates in the lining epithelium , being considered the most common malignancy in this region. Over the 6 years we have focused efforts on unraveling mechanisms of signal transduction involved in cell adhesion and some progress has been achieved. Recently, we have intensified our sceintific cooperation with the University of Erasmus Rotterdan, where we started a very interesting work suggesting that Hedgehog Sonic (Shh) is involved with cell adhesion. As mechanisms involved in cell adhesion are of utmost importance to define the moment of migration and metastasis, we decided to evaluate, initially in vitro , the importance of the Shh pathway in adhesion and behavior of epithelial cells from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) . Thus , our goal is to investigate the involvement of proteins related to Shh pathway (Patched, smothened, gli-1) during adhesion mechanisms of SCCs by western blotting (WB). Briefly, cells will be trypsinized and plated in polystyrene plates (100-mm diameter), after 3, 12 and 24 hours these cells will be lysed and biological samples collected in order to allow WB analysis. Furthermore, we test chemical inhibition of this pathway with cyclopamine in order to know their actual involvement in these biological events.