Advanced studies of elemental distribution in biological tissues: mechanisms involved in cancer pain and prospecting for therapeutic alternatives

• Grant number: 24/18188-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: January 27, 2025
• End date: March 03, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Enzymology
• Principal Investigator: Ethel Antunes Wilhelm
• Grantee: Bruna Vasconcelos Martins
• Host Institution: CENTRO CIENCIAS QUIMICAS FARMACEUTICAS ALIMENTOS/UFPEL

Abstract

Chronic cancer-related diseases have become a significant concern, especially in the elderly population. It is estimated that approximately 19 million new cases of cancer emerged globally in 2020, leading to almost 10 million deaths related to the disease, with colorectal cancer being the second leading cause. In Brazil, according to projections by the National Cancer Institute (INCA) for the three-year period 2023 to 2025, colorectal cancer will be one of the three types of cancer with the highest incidence in men and women. The highest rates are recorded in the Southeast region for both sexes, and in the South region, this cancer is the third most prevalent. In colorectal cancer therapy, oxaliplatin (OXA) is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents. However, the use of this treatment results in several undesirable effects, such as peripheral neuropathy. Recently, a study group from the Federal University of Pelotas - RS demonstrated that the accumulation of platinum in the central nervous system may contribute to the toxic effects of OXA. This perspective, until then, had been little explored worldwide, and this finding expands the understanding of the mechanisms involved in cancer pain caused by OXA and allows the prospecting of new therapies that minimize pain, improving the quality of life of patients. In this sense, 7-chloro-4-(phenylselanyl)quinoline (4-PSQ) is a substance that has aroused interest in research due to its potential therapeutic properties, especially in the face of the toxicity caused by OXA. This evidence demonstrates the relevance and the need to develop new analytical strategies that allow the mapping of bioelements in biological tissues to advance the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the toxicity of this chemotherapy drug and in the search for therapies that minimize the effects of cancer pain. In this context, the main objective of this proposal is to determine and investigate possible molecular markers of cancer pain, prospecting a new therapeutic strategy. The use of analytical and biochemical strategies will allow the mapping of the distribution of platinum and bioelements, as well as the clarification of the mechanisms underlying cancer pain in preclinical studies, considering the particularities of age.