Melatonin and its metabolites as prognostic markers in human breast neoplasms

• Grant number: 15/02935-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Debora Aparecida Pires de Campos Zuccari
• Grantee: Tialfi Bergamin de Castro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed and the leading cause of cancer death in women in Brazil and worldwide. In 2014, it was estimated 57,120 new cases in the country. The current diagnostic methods are mainly limited to invasive procedures and even after diagnosis, determination of prognosis may not be conclusive, since patients may acquire resistance to treatment by promoting tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Thus prognostic markers can be used to determine tumor characteristics, identifying patients who will benefit from specific treatments. Many efforts have been directed to the identification of genes and proteins as diagnostic and prognostic markers, however metabolomics allows the identification of metabolites in biological fluids and tissues. One of the metabolites suggested as a potential biomarker and differentiation factor subtype of breast cancer is melatonin, hormone synthesized in the pineal gland and has a regulatory role on physiological, metabolic and behavioral events. In addition, melatonin and its metabolites have oncostatics oncoprotectors and antioxidant effects besides removing reactive oxygen species and nitrogen, and increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes. Thus, it is suggested that the evaluation of the concentrations of melatonin and its metabolites can be used as diagnostic and prognostic marker classifying breast cancer based on the tumor biology. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE CASTRO, TIALFI BERGAMIN; BORDIN-JUNIOR, NEWTON ANTONIO; DE ALMEIDA, EDUARDO ALVES; PIRES DE CAMPOS ZUCCARI, DEBORA APARECIDA. Evaluation of melatonin and AFMK levels in women with breast cancer. ENDOCRINE, v. 62, n. 1, p. 242-249, OCT 2018. (15/02935-2)

DE CASTRO, TIALFI B.; MOTA, ANDRE L.; BORDIN-JUNIOR, NEWTON A.; NETO, DALISIO S.; ZUCCARI, DEBORA A. P. C.. Immunohistochemical Expression of Melatonin Receptor MT1 and Glucose Transporter GLUT1 in Human Breast Cancer. ANTI-CANCER AGENTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, v. 18, n. 15, p. 2110-2116, 2018. (15/02935-2)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CASTRO, Tialfi Bergamin de. Melatonin and its metabolites as prognostic markers in human breast cancers. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas. São José do Rio Preto São José do Rio Preto.