The role of GDF-15 in metastasis of canine tumor

• Grant number: 15/25468-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: July 21, 2016
• End date: July 20, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Renee Laufer Amorim
• Grantee: Renee Laufer Amorim
• Host Investigator: Robert B. Rebhun
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of California, Davis (UC Davis), United States

Abstract

GDF-15 (Growth Differentiation Factor-15) is a member of the TGF-beta family; it is also called MIC-1, PDGF-², PLAB, PDF and NAG-1. It's role in cancer is not yet clear, being reported as having a tumor suppressor or an oncogenic activity. GDF-15 was studied in different form of tumors in humans in vivo or in vitro, but in Veterinary Medicine there is only one report (Yamagushi et al., 2008) describing GDF-15 expression in normal canine tissue (lung, liver and kidney) and it's role in osteosarcoma cell lines. Besides that controversial role in cancer development, GDF-15 is a gene activated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). The use of NSAIDs up-regulate GDF-15 expression, that plays a role as mediator for chemotherapeutic agents in cancer. The aims of this research are to evaluate GDF-15 expression in multiple canine tumors cell lines (mammary gland carcinoma and melanoma), the role of NSAID in controlling GDF-15 protein and gene expression and it's relation to cell migration and metastatic potential. For that, the study will be divided in an in vitro and in vivo phases, using tumor cell lines and tumor samples from natural occurring canine tumors. This research will be developed in Dr. Rebhun's Comparative Laboratory, at the Center for Companion Animal Health, at University of California Davis, Davis/California/USA. Dr Rebhun has already being working with this protein with preliminary results, and his main research area is on comparative and translational oncology, focusing the biology and therapy of cancer metastasis. (AU)