Decorin, E-cadherin and EGFR expression in canine inflammatory mammary carcinoma and their relationship with prognosis

• Grant number: 21/14542-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Francisco Strefezzi
• Grantee: Bethânia Almeida Gouveia
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/00362-1 - Identification of cancer stem cells in canine inflammatory mammary carcinoma, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Over 70% of cases of mammary tumours in bitches are malignant, highliting inflammatory mammary carcinomas (IMC), a more aggressive variant in dogs and women, which stands out for being a fulminant progressive disease, with high mortality, invasive and metastatic growth. Decorin is considered an important molecule for tumorigenesis and interferes with the E-cadherin-EGFR axis in order to inhibit IMC invasion and metastasis in women. This project aims to verify the expression of Decorin, E-cadherin and EGFR in inflammatory mammary carcinomas in comparison with non-inflammatory (NIMC), as prognostic factors for the disease. Using immunohistochemistry, 100 samples from the Tumor Bank of the Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT) at FZEA-USP will be evaluated. Information about the history of the animals will obtained from the medical records and interviews with veterinarians and owners. The tumour will be classified according to Goldschmidt et al. (2011) and separated into IMC and NIMC for statistical analyses. (AU)