| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.6 MB | Adobe PDF |
Abstract(s)
A angiogénese é um dos marcos do desenvolvimento tumoral, sendo fundamental
para o crescimento do tumor primário e para a metastização. A terapia oncológica antiangiogénica
surgiu como uma estratégia promissora. Contudo, o aparecimento de tumores que
não são sensíveis, o desenvolvimento de resistência e a controvérsia sobre o impacto na
metastização, tem suscitado apreensão na utilização desta abordagem terapêutica. Importa por
isso esclarecer qual o impacto da anti-angiogénese na metastização e desenvolver novas
abordagens terapêuticas anti-angiogénicas ou melhorar as existentes, identificando a melhor
fase da progressão tumoral para intervir.
Recentemente a terapia anti-Dll4 foi confirmada como uma ferramenta viável na luta contra o
cancro. Todavia, importa ainda esclarecer o seu efeito no aporte tumoral de fármacos
citostáticos e no processo metastático, o que permitirá consolidar a validação deste ligando
como um alvo terapêutico útil e promissor.
Compreender melhor os mecanismos moleculares implicados no desenvolvimento vascular
embrionário permitirá a identificação de novos alvos terapêuticos. A Tspan18, uma molécula
ainda pouco estudada, parece desempenhar funções pró-angiogénicas, mas o seu papel na
angiogénese mamífera ainda não foi elucidado.
Utilizando um modelo murino transgénico de adenocarcinoma prostático, o TRAMP,
verificámos que a combinação de uma terapia anti-angiogénica, o sDll4Fc, com um citostático,
a doxorrubicina, conduziu a uma marcada redução do volume tumoral melhorando
simultaneamente a concentração do citostático no estroma tumoral. O modelo de metastização
experimental com células de melanoma murino B16-F10 permitiu-nos verificar uma redução
do número de focos metastáticos pulmonares nos murganhos heterozigóticos para Dll4
especificamente no endotélio. A produção de uma nova linha de murganhos com perda-defunção
condicional e induzível da Tspan18 não foi possível, pelo que não conseguimos
investigar o papel desta molécula na angiogénese.
ABSTRACT - Use of mice in the study of new targets for anti-angiogenic cancer therapy. - Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer fundamental to primary tumor growth and metastization. Cancer therapy with anti-angiogenic agents has emerged as a promising approach. However, some tumors are not sensitive and others are resistant. Additionally, there is still controversy about the impact of anti-angiogenesis in metastization. Therefore, it urges to elucidate the effect of anti-angiogenics in metastatic progression, develop new anti-angiogenics or improve existing ones and point which is the best therapeutical window. Recently, anti-Dll4 therapy has been confirmed as a viable tool in the fight against cancer. Still to be elucidated is its effect in the delivery of systemically administered anticancer therapies and in invasion and metastasis, which will allow its validation as useful and promising therapeutical target. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular development will allow the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Tetraspanin 18, a still largely unknown transmembrane protein, seems to have pro-angiogenic properties, however its role in mammalian angiogenesis is still to be elucidated. Using a transgenic murine model of prostate adenocarcinoma, TRAMP, we have found that the combined systemic administration of sDll4Fc and doxorubicin resulted in a dramatic reduction of the tumor volume while substantially improving the delivery of the cytostatic. The experimental metastasis model with the murine melanoma cell line B16-F10, allowed us to observe a reduction of the number of lung metastatic foci in endothelial heterozygous Dll4 mice. The production of a new mutant mouse line with conditional and inducible Tspan18 loss of function, was not possible, therefore we were unable to investigate the role of this molecule in angiogenesis.
ABSTRACT - Use of mice in the study of new targets for anti-angiogenic cancer therapy. - Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer fundamental to primary tumor growth and metastization. Cancer therapy with anti-angiogenic agents has emerged as a promising approach. However, some tumors are not sensitive and others are resistant. Additionally, there is still controversy about the impact of anti-angiogenesis in metastization. Therefore, it urges to elucidate the effect of anti-angiogenics in metastatic progression, develop new anti-angiogenics or improve existing ones and point which is the best therapeutical window. Recently, anti-Dll4 therapy has been confirmed as a viable tool in the fight against cancer. Still to be elucidated is its effect in the delivery of systemically administered anticancer therapies and in invasion and metastasis, which will allow its validation as useful and promising therapeutical target. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular development will allow the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Tetraspanin 18, a still largely unknown transmembrane protein, seems to have pro-angiogenic properties, however its role in mammalian angiogenesis is still to be elucidated. Using a transgenic murine model of prostate adenocarcinoma, TRAMP, we have found that the combined systemic administration of sDll4Fc and doxorubicin resulted in a dramatic reduction of the tumor volume while substantially improving the delivery of the cytostatic. The experimental metastasis model with the murine melanoma cell line B16-F10, allowed us to observe a reduction of the number of lung metastatic foci in endothelial heterozygous Dll4 mice. The production of a new mutant mouse line with conditional and inducible Tspan18 loss of function, was not possible, therefore we were unable to investigate the role of this molecule in angiogenesis.
Description
Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Veterinárias na Especialidade de Ciências Biológicas e Biomédicas
Keywords
anti-angiogénese cancro Dll4 Tspan18 murganhos anti-angiogenesis cancer mice
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Carvalho, C.I.C. (2016). Utilização de murganhos no estudo de novos alvos da terapia oncológica anti-angiogénica. Tese de Doutoramento. Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Lisboa.
Publisher
Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária
