Characterization of the action of seriniquinone in glioma cell lines

• Grant number: 25/11772-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Leticia Veras Costa Lotufo
• Grantee: Anna Giulia Brandão Leal
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/08735-1 - ProspecMar network: prospecting marine natural resources, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the effects of seriniquinone on glioma cell lineages, a highly invasive and deadly tumor of the central nervous system.Seriniquinone is a molecule originally derived from the marine bacteria Serinicoccus sp., and showed promising results against cell proliferation. Its main molecular target is dermcidin, a small protein thought to be involved in cell survival, migration, and adhesion. Previous studies on melanomas suggest that the seriniquinone-dermcidin interaction induces cell death through an unconventional pathway, leading to the hypothesis that gliomas may also be sensitive to this compound.Objective: To assess the cytotoxicity, migration, adhesion, and dermcidin expression in glioma cell lines treated with seriniquinone.Methodology: Glioma cell lines (HOG, T98G, U87MG, U251MG) will be cultured in vitro. The study will involve viability assays (MTT and clonogenic), apoptosis and cell cycle studies via flow cytometry, and western blotting to analyze expression of proteins related to cell death, proliferation and autophagy. All experiments will be distributed through the duration of the project.