| Grant number: | 14/02745-6 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | May 01, 2014 |
| End date: | February 28, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology |
| Principal Investigator: | Leticia Labriola |
| Grantee: | Rosangela Aparecida Wailemann Mansano |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract One of the goals in the treatment for diabetes is to enhance pancreatic beta-cell function, proliferation and survival. Beta-cell apoptosis occurs in diabetes where genes of the bcl-2 family are known either promote or to inhibit it. Recent results from our group showed that recombinant human prolactin (rhPRL) inhibits beta-cell apoptosis. Using bidimensional gel electrophoresis, we reported up-regulation of HSP25/27 upon rhPRL treatment. Even when members of the family of the heat shock proteins are known to mitigate apoptosis after numerous challenges, the cytoprotective effects of HSP25/27 on beta cells have not been directly studied. Until today, there is only one report describing that mice presenting constitutive expression of HSP27 are less sensitive to pharmacological induced type 1diabetes mellitus (DM1). Therefore, we set out to study on a first step, whether HSP25/27 could be a mediator of PRL-induced inhibition of beta-cell death and if so, to unveil the molecular mechanisms supporting this action on murine and human beta-cell models. For this purpose, we aim to generate beta-cell lines over expressing specific shRNA directed to knock-down the expression of HSP25/27 and then using these models, to evaluate the sensitivity of the cells upon inflammatory cytokines-induced cell death as a model of DM1. Moreover, following the data described in the literature for other cellular models, we intend to search for modifications in cell metabolism as well as possible interactions of HSP25/27 with protein mediators of the intrinsic pathway leading to apoptosis. Collectively, our results could lead to the development of novel methods of islet cytoprotection based on this approach. | |
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