MODULATION OF ANTIGEN PRESENTATION BY PROPOLIS AND POSSIBLE DIFFERENTIAL ACTIVATION OF Th1 AND Treg LYMPHOCYTES

• Grant number: 15/02596-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Ethnopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: José Maurício Sforcin
• Grantee: Karina Basso Santiago
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous product made by bees from different parts of plants, showing several pharmacological properties with possible application the pharmaceutical and food industry. Most of the papers on propolis and immunity were performed with animals and there are few studies with humans regarding its immunomodulatory action. Recently, we initiated the studies with human cells evaluating the effect of propolis in monocytes and dendritic cells and in this project we aim to investigate the cellular mechanisms modulated by propolis in antigen presentation and T lymphocyte differential activation. Thus, a tumor antigen (MAGE-1) and retinoic acid will be used to assess the expression of cell receptors (TLR-2, TLR-4, MHC- II, CD80, CD40), activation of transcription factors (NF-kB and STAT-3) and cytokine (TNF-±, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12) production by monocytes. Lymphocyte proliferation, transcription factors (T-bet and Foxp3) activation and cytokine production (IFN-³ and TGF-²) by T lymphocytes will be analyzed as well, in order to investigate whether propolis could favor any activation profile, culminating preferentially in Th1or T regulatory (Treg) one. We assume that a particular biological event could be favored by propolis, culminating for example in the activation or suppression of the cellular immune response against tumors. These findings will be original and relevant and this protocol may be adopted in antitumor protocols, demonstrating the practical implication of this research project.

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)

KARINA BASSO SANTIAGO; BRUNO JOSÉ CONTI; ELIZA DE OLIVEIRA CARDOSO; FERNANDA LOPES CONTE; KAREN INGRID TASCA; GRAZIELA GORETE ROMAGNOLI; MARJORIE DE ASSIS GOLIM; MARIA TEREZA CRUZ; JOSÉ MAURÍCIO SFORCIN. Propolis anti-inflammatory effects on MAGE-1 and retinoic acid-treated dendritic cells and on Th1 and T regulatory cells. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, v. 29, 2023-01-13. (15/02596-3, 15/03493-3)