Study of the secretome of single and dual biofilms of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus and its influence on normal and neoplastic cells of the oral cavity.

• Grant number: 22/05180-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Paula Aboud Barbugli
• Grantee: Freddy Humberto Marin Dett
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms with function and structure organized in their own extracellular matrix. Most infectious processes are related to the presence of polymicrobial biofilms, formed, for example, by microorganisms of the commensal microbiota together with opportunistic pathogens. Such polymicrobial biofilms are formed by a wide variety of species, including bacteria and fungi, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The pathophysiology of C. albicans and S. aureus is closely related to the production of virulence factors by these species, which makes the study of the products of metabolism of such microorganisms relevant. The pathogenicity of C. albicans is influenced by virulence factors related to the ability to adhere in host tissues to the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. S. aureus in turn secrete hydrolytic enzymes and several types of toxins that act directly on the host's response. Toxins and metabolic products of some strains of fungi and bacteria have aroused interest in the study of tumor processes. The relationship between microorganisms and cancer has several examples such as Helicobacter pylori; Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, which relationship has been demonstrated. This project explores a better understanding of the role of protein, lipids, extracellular vesicles and carbohydrates fractions from the metabolism of biofilms of C. albicans and S. aureus, in the process of cell death and/or cell proliferation. Such fractions will be tested individually in normal, dysplastic, tumor and metastatic cells derived from head and neck carcinoma, and evaluated through Alamar Blue for cell proliferation; Cell Cycle Analysis by Flow Cytometry; Intracellular ROS production; ELISA for inflammasome pathways; qRT-PCR of 20 genes related to cancer and inflammation.