Effects of Brazilian berry (Myrciaria jaboticaba) peel extract on androgen-independent prostate cancer: primary and metastatic tumor evaluation in the TRAMP model

• Grant number: 22/12264-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: November 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Montico
• Grantee: Ana Clara Trovo Vecchi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Population aging has highlighted senescence-associated diseases as well as the search for therapies targeting them. Among these pathological processes, prostate cancer (PCa) shows great relevance to public health, considering its high incidence, mortality and the possibility to affect other vital functions when developing metastasis, which leads to worse prognostics to patients. Several types of treatment have been tested to solve these issues and androgen ablation therapy (ADT) is currently the main approach for treatment of recurrent and metastatic PCa. However, in spite of initial promising results, many tumors escape the hormonal blockade and eventually progress to a castration-resistant and androgen-independent stage, bringing the need for the development of new therapeutic and/or chemopreventive alternatives able to slow the progression of the disease. In this scenario, Brazilian berry (also known as jabuticaba) peel extract (PJE) has emerged as a possibility due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are mainly attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds in the fruit. Thus, the aim herewith will be to analyze PJE effects as an adjuvant therapy to hormonal blockade in the treatment of both primary and metastatic prostatic tumors in the Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model. For this purpose, 24 male TRAMP mice aged 16 weeks will be divided into four experimental groups: TRAMP Control Group (TRCON); TRAMP Jabuticaba Group (TRJAB); TRAMP Castrated Group (TRCAS) and TRAMP Castrated + Jabuticaba Group (TRCASJAB). After 6 weeks of treatment, mice will be euthanized and anterior prostate, lungs and periaortic lymph nodes will be harvested for light microscopy and immunohistochemical analyses.