Salivary polyamines: potential clinical marker in head and neck cancer a new approach in the context of a low cost method development

• Grant number: 15/20420-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Eloiza Helena Tajara da Silva
• Grantee: Arthur Henrique Cunha Volpato
• 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

Abstract

Polyamines are organic molecules, synthesized from the amino acid ornithine, which are fundamental to the development of the cell cycle in eukaryotes. Several recent studies show the importance of polyamines in various cellular processes in rapidly growing tissues, in both physiological and pathological context, such as in the rapidly proliferation enterocytes in the intestinal crypts and in neoplasms, including those of the breast, prostate, and colon. Due to the evidences of their relevance of the polyamines in the neoplastic process, several chemotherapies were developed to inhibit polyamine biosynthesis. In squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck(HNSCC), the role of these compounds lacks clarification. In this context, this paper intends to carry out a preliminary assessment by comparing the concentration of salivary polyamines two sample groups with respect to matched controls: healthy volunteers exposed to alcohol, one of the main risk factors for HNSCC and patients with HNSCC. Additionally, we intend to extend the proposed methodology by developing a low-cost method for detection of polyamines in biological samples, in collaboration with the Group of Bioanalytical, Microfabrication, and Separations Group (BioMicS) under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Emanuel Carrilho, from the Instituto deQuímica de São Carlos (IQSC).