Identification of immunological markers and their correlation with epigenetic modifications caused by valproic acid

• Grant number: 22/09702-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: November 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Lidia Maria Rebolho Batista Arantes
• Grantee: Marcelo Augusto Alves Silva Barbosa
• Host Institution: Hospital do Câncer de Barretos. Fundação Pio XII (FP). Barretos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Valproic acid is a drug with potential therapeutic action in preventing undesirable outcomes in patients who have finished treatment for head and neck cancer, considering that it acts on epigenetic mechanism by inhibiting histone deacetylase, which regulates the expression of different genes. Functional assesment of the response to valproic acid as well as its toxicity can be analyzed by counting circulatings cells in complete blood count (CBC) in order to assess the biological action of this agent, which can be used as an alternative drug to prevent recurrence and metastases.Objectives: To evaluate blood counts of patients with a previous history of head and neck cancer, treated with valproic acid as a chemopreventive agent compared with the use of placebo, at multiple stages of treatment and to compare these results with clinical outcome.Metodology: The blood count data will be collected from the patients' medical records and will be stored in the REDCap software. The cellular results found will be associated with the clinical and pathological data of the patients using the SPSS 23.0 statistical program.