Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes in Normal and Thyroid Tumor Cell Lines.

• Grant number: 24/10954-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Murilo Vieira Geraldo
• Grantee: Bianca Azevedo de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer worldwide, with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) being the most frequent histological type. In recent decades, Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising alternative in cancer treatment, as they have been described as transport tools for various molecules, including miRNAs. In this context, the administration of exosomes containing tumor-suppressive miRNAs may represent a novel therapeutic approach for several types of cancer, including TC. Considering the involvement of exosomes and miRNAs in cancer progression, the objective of this study is to standardize techniques for isolating and characterizing exosomes from normal thyroid cells, aiming to enable their use as a delivery system for tumor-suppressive miRNAs. Modified genetically normal follicular cell lines overexpressing miR-495-3p or miR-485-5p, both previously characterized by our group as tumor suppressors in TC, will be used as a source of exosomes. The transfer of miRNAs to tumor cells will be evaluated using qPCR and in vitro functional assays. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches for thyroid cancer.