Resveratrol cytoprotective action in a doxorubicin-induced model of neurotoxicity in primary hippocampal cell culture

• Grant number: 21/06721-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Augusto da Silva
• Grantee: Larissa Alves David
• Host Institution: Vice-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade Paulista (UNIP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, also known as Chemobrain or chemotherapy fog, is a clinical condition characterized by a cognitive deficit that mainly compromises short-term memory and the ability to concentrate. It is currently estimated that up to 75% of cancer patients suffer from some measure of cognitive alterations, and the lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying their development is our greatest challenge. Pharmacological interventions and cognitive-behavioral therapies have been suggested as possible treatments, however, we still do not have any pharmacological treatment that has been proven to be effective in preventing the neurotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Although several benefits have been associated with the treatments, many questions are still open, especially regarding the neuroprotective properties of resveratrol, a polyphenol that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In order to better understand this scenario, this project intends to standardize an in vitro model of primary culture of hippocampal cells, in addition to evaluating the cytoprotective effect of resveratrol against doxorubicin-induced neurotoxicity (DOXO). This study will allow us to standardize the primary culture of hippocampal cells as a methodological tool in the search for new biological assets capable of protecting brain functions in a preventive and/or therapeutic context, which may contribute as a platform for the development of new therapeutic strategies to the deleterious effects of chemotherapy in the Central Nervous System. (AU)