Investigating the expression and biological activity of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) enzyme in prostatic carcinoma

• Grant number: 22/11633-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 29, 2023
• End date: September 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Francisco Strefezzi
• Grantee: Johanna Mettler
• Supervisor: Timothy Fan
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/13032-4 - Evaluation of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) expression in canine cutaneous squamous cell Carcinomas, BP.IC

Abstract

Canine prostate cancer (PC) is a very invasive and aggressive disease that has some similarities with human prostate cancer, including the influence of age and the occurrence of metastasis, especially in bones. Canine PC is considered a relatively rare cancer, while in humans is a significant cause of death in older individuals with cancer. Moreover, early diagnosis in canine PC patients is challenging due to the non-specific clinical signs or even their absence. The lack of specific markers for prostatic cancer also cooperates with the underestimation of cases in the canine population and the absence of effective diagnostic and treatments. Human PC is similar to the canine PC in many ways, and the current therapy strategies are insufficient for both species. Since canine PC biological mechanisms are not well delimited and described, exploiting canine PC utilizing in vitro cell lines and animal models contributes to understanding the disease's nature. In this context, establishing a relationship between NQO1 levels within different cell lines would allow a prognostic value for this enzyme in the future and would demonstrate the need for a more extensive understanding of PC behavior. Thus, the present project aims to establish and characterize the presence of the NQO1 enzyme in prostate cancer cell lines from human (LNCaP and PC3) and canine (Ace-1, Leo and CPA) species and in canine PC tissues. As a result, it would contribute to a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of PC in human and canine species and the potential use of NQO1 in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. (AU)