Evaluation of the antitumor potential of peroxidized vegetable oil in in vitro melanoma models

• Grant number: 24/20383-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Rodrigues
• Grantee: Rebeca Chaguri
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and its incidence is increasing due to several factors, including individual variations, environmental conditions, increased carcinogens exposure, among others. Melanoma is a type of cancer originating in melanocytes and is considered the most serious skin cancer due to its metastatic potential. Since tumor cells exhibit several alterations to evade from death stimuli, there is a continuous search for new drugs to overcome drug resistance, improving the anticancer chemotherapy. The induction of induced oxidative stress is one of these strategies that lead to the modulation of signaling pathways and the oxidation of cellular components, resulting in cell death. Thus, considering the increasing use of vegetal oils oxidized by ozone exposition in cosmetical applications, in this study we investigated the cytotoxicity of oxidized sunflower oil (OxSFO) in melanoma tumor cells in vitro and in vivo using subcutaneous and metastatic melanoma models. OxSFO was obtained commercially and the determination of peroxide index was used to standardize the samples. Melanoma cell line selected to this study was B16-F10-Nex2 (melanoma), which was also used for in vivo studies. Cells will be cultured in supplemented DMEM high glucose or RPMI1640 mediA in a CO2 incubator at 37¿C and cell viability will be assessed by MTT and by trypan blue assays using increasing concentrations of OxSFO compared to non-oxidized sunflower oil (NOxSFO). Furthermore, we will evaluate the effects of OxSFO on cell proliferation and migration and investigate the mechanisms of cell death. Our hypothesis is that OxSFO induces cell death in tumor cells by ferroptosis. We will also evaluate the possible antitumor effect of OxSFO in in vivo models. The results that will be obtained in this project will contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in cell death induced by OxSFO in a melanoma model and will provide support for its antitumor potential in the treatment of melanoma. (AU)