| Grant number: | 15/18730-0 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | November 01, 2015 |
| Effective date (End): | February 28, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry |
| Principal Investigator: | Alexander Henning Ulrich |
| Grantee: | Isis Cristina Corrêa Do Nascimento |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 12/50880-4 - Stem cells: from basic studies of kinin and purinergic receptor roles towards therapeutical applications, AP.TEM |
Abstract Cancer is characterized by rapid and uncontrolled cell growth with loss of the limits of the tissue of origin and may invade surrounding tissues and organs and spread to other parts of the body. Tumors may be caused by genetic mutations that can occur due exposure to external and/or internal factors. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, as detection of the disease only occurs in advanced stages. The heterogeneity of lung tumor cells suggests that these may originate from multipotent cells. Several studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be the cause of tumor growth and resistance to conventional therapies. The lack of specific markers for CSC detection difficult the use of these cells in determining the disease prognosis in clinical practice. The major challenge in cancer biology is the discovery of biomarkers for specific types of cancer stem cells and the development of probes that allow the identification of these targets. The second objective of the project is to characterize the kallikrein-kinin system, including the serine proteases plasma and tissue kallikrein, which cleave kininogen releasing kinins: bradykinin and kallidin. Kinins participate various physiological and pathological processes and exert their biological actions through G-protein coupled receptors, denominate kinin-B1 and B2 receptors. The expression of these receptors has been described in many tumors and can be related to the disease progression. Thus, the objectives of this project are the development of DNA aptamers able to identify the molecular signature of lung CSC and assess whether the kallikrein-kinin system may be involved in tumor progression and maintaining the state of undifferentiation of CSC. | |