Comparative In Vitro Study: Antitumoral Evaluation of Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) Extracts in Prostate Cancer Cells (2D) and Spheroids (3D)

• Grant number: 25/01503-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Toxicological Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes
• Grantee: Antonio Victor Pereira do Nascimento
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project will evaluate the antitumor potential of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) extracts on human prostate cancer cells (PC-3 and DU145) cultivated in monolayers (2D) and multicellular tumor spheroids (3D). Extracts obtained from blackcurrant "press cake," a by-product rich in bioactive compounds, will be chemically characterized. Analyses will investigate cell viability, proliferation, migration, genotoxicity, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. The effectiveness of treatments will be compared between tumor cells and non-tumoral human keratinocytes (HaCaT). This study aims to develop sustainable strategies for utilizing food by-products and contribute to new, more effective, and less toxic therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer, highlighting the relevance of 3D cultures as experimental models that better mimic tumor physiology. (AU)