Study of the extracellular matrix of the adrenal glands

• Grant number: 21/03974-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2021
• End date: March 15, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Claudimara Ferini Pacicco Lotfi
• Grantee: Fernanda Bongiovani Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/02988-7 - Decoding the impact of microenvironment and signaling pathways in health and disease in brain, adrenal gland and kidney, AP.TEM

Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is defined as the non-cellular component of the tissue. It is responsible for the structural integrity of the organ, as well as for cellular communication and transport of molecules. Changes in the composition of the ECM induce different cell signaling in normal tissues, and in pathological conditions, such as in the tumor, impact on tumor progression. The adrenal gland consists of a cortex, with three zones, glomerulosa, fasciculate and reticulate, and the medulla, surrounded by a fibrous capsule. The modulation of ECM in different microenvironments/zones can contribute, both to the development and to the function of these tissues. Thus, revealing the composition of the ECM in the adrenal can help understand the physiological processes of the gland, as well as its neoplasms. Therefore, we propose to decode the components of the ECM of the normal adrenal gland of different species and of adrenocortical tumor and hyperplasia. We will compare the composition of the different fractions of adrenal gland, capsule and ZG (outer fraction/OF), ZF/ZR (inner fraction/IF) and the human, rat and porcine medulla (M fraction), and different fragments of adrenocortical tumors, adenomas, carcinomas and hyperplasia, by proteomic analysis. Our hypothesis is that the composition of ECM in the adrenal fractions and between species, as well as in the types of tumor fragments, are distinct. Since neoplasms in this tissue have a strong clinical impact in humans, understanding the ECM in this neoplastic tissue compared to healthy tissue may provide evidence to guide diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the knowledge about the ECM constitution will allow its use for the maintenance of cultures of organotypic cells for the study of the interaction cell-ECM. (AU)