Investigation the response of head and neck cancer stem cells to various therapeutic strategies to overcome chemotherapy resistance

• Grant number: 15/00887-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: May 04, 2015
• End date: August 03, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Eny Maria Goloni Bertollo
• Grantee: Ana Lívia Silva Galbiatti-Dias
• Supervisor: Silvana Papagerakis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/15009-6 - Identification of tumoral stem cells in head and neck cancer: genetic and protein expression in the response to chemotherapy, BP.PD

Abstract

Background: Current evidence suggests that initiation, growth, and invasion of cancer are driven by cancer stem cells (CSC). Furthermore, chemotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) has shown unfavorable results due to tumor resistance due to CSC. Objectives: To understand and follow all techniques about identification of head and neck cancer stem cells for development of part of post-doctoral project in Brazil. Furthermore, we will investigate the response of CSC to various therapeutic strategies to overcome chemotherapy resistance. Materials and Methods: Firstly all techniques about identification of head and neck cancer stem cells will be understood. Then we will isolated the CD24+/CD44+ population from HNC cell line and determined whether this cell population has cancer stem cell properties by a variety of different approaches. The techniques that will be used are Cell culture, Flow Citometry, Wound Healing Assay, Colony-forming assay, Real-time PCR. Statistical analyses will be performed by paired Student's t-test between two groups (CD44+ and CD44- ). Data will be presented as mean ± SD. P value of < 0.05 will be considered significant statistically. In addition, techniques for learning include flow adhesion assays, gene and metastasis experimental in vivo and in vitro models, etc). The techniques that will be learned about models in vitro will be applied in Brazil in a future project. (AU)