Circulating miRNAs as biomarkers of cardiotoxicity and therapeutic potential in breast cancer

• Grant number: 15/09919-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Edilamar Menezes de Oliveira
• Grantee: Ursula Paula Renó Soci
• Home Institution: Escola de Educação Física e Esporte (EEFE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/22814-5 - Cancer and heart: new paradigms of diagnosis and treatment, AP.TEM

Abstract

Despite of the uninterrupted development of new medications for the treatment of cancer, the survival rate continues low especially in those patients in the advanced stage of the disease. Recent observations show that new therapeutics increase the susceptibility for cardiovascular diseases, which turns out to be the treatment of cancer even more complex. Cardiac dysfunction due to cardiotoxicity has been found in 10-15% breast cancer patients submitted to chemotherapy. Cardiac alterations associated with autonomicdysfunction have been recently documented in patients submitted to radiotherapy for treatment of lymphoma. Body weight gain, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure are very frequent in patients submitted to androgenic blockade or orquiectomy for the treatment of prostate adenocarcinoma. Therefore, the search for new treatments for cancer and elimination of collateral events caused by medications are great challenge in nowadays.Physical inactivity is very common in oncological patients. The debilitation due to the disease, treatment and demotivation contribute to the low level of physical activity in patients with cancer. On the other hand, studies involving large number of individual are unanimous in demonstrating the significant association between physical fitness and survival rate regardless of diseases. This knowledge suggests that exercise training may be an adjuvant strategy in the treatment of cancer. In fact, recent studies demonstrate that exercise training improves physical capacity and quality of life in patients suffering of cancer.The aim of our investigation is to search the molecular and autonomic mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular alterations provoked by cancer or chemotherapy and radiotherapy used in the treatment of this disease. Not less important will be the studies focused on the new therapeutic paradigms based on cellular and molecular principles, medications and exercise training for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases associated with cancer with special attention in the cardiac and skeletal toxicity.To accomplish these goals, 21 studies will be conducted in three areas: Cardio/Oncology, Oncologye Cardiology.