Proteomics and therapeutic responsiveness of preeclampsia: identification of biomarkers and pharmacological targets

• Grant number: 22/07605-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2023
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Clinical Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Valeria Cristina Sandrim
• Grantee: Caroline Cristina Pinto Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder that occurs after 20 weeks of gestation, whose main symptoms include proteinuria, liver damage, impaired clotting, among other signs and symptoms. Few treatment fronts are available and pregnant women who do not respond to antihypertensive therapy develop the worst clinical outcomes. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which endothelial dysfunction (imbalance between endothelial vasoconstrictor and vasodilator substances) is promoted in this disorder is essential to indicate more effective interventions. In this sense, the search for biomarkers in PE may contribute to a better understanding of the therapeutic responsiveness of patients, and this type of research is leveraged in proteomics, which helps in the study of cellular functions, pathways affected by diseases and mechanisms of action of drugs. However, no work has evaluated the proteome of patients with PE taking into account the responsive and unresponsive subtypes to antihypertensive therapy. Thus, we present as objectives, to analyze the protein profile in PE; to investigate those that are expressed differently between patients who respond and do not respond to treatment; to verify the effect of differentially expressed proteins on endothelial cells in the in vitro model (assessing nitric oxide production, oxidative stress and expression of genes related to endothelial function); therefore, as a way of exploring new pharmacological targets that could help in the prevention and therapy of the disease.