Visiting researcher to teach lectures at a scientific meeting and to follow a research project on the use of the ACT1 peptide for the treatment of canine neoplasias

Abstract

The Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Oncology of the Department of Pathology of FMVZ-USP has a long history about the study of gap junctions, connexins and their role in physiological and pathological phenomena including (and mainly) cancer. In our studies, in agreement with studies carried out in other countries of the world, we have observed that in neoplastic cells there is a lack of migration of the connexins, gap junction forming proteins, to the cell membrane, and in this way there is a failure in the cellular communication in these cells. Dr. Elizabeth Yeh has conducted a pioneering study using a peptide that can act on the components of gap-type junctions in cancer cells, leading to the restoration of gap junctions (Grek, CL, Rhett, JM, Bruce, JS, Abt, MA, Ghatnekar, GS, and Yeh, ES (2015) Targeting connexin 43 with ±-connexin carboxyl-terminal (ACT1) peptide enhances the activity of targeted inhibitors in breast cancer BMC Cancer 15: 296. We met Dr Yeh at a meeting held in the city of Poitiers, France in 2016. From this meeting, we established a partnership to carry out research projects involving canine neoplasms, with two projects, one with mammary cells and the other with cells of melanoma. Dr. Elizabeth is sending us the peptides for us to use in our cells. Its coming will aid in the interpretation of the data, and in the orientation of future researches with these and with new peptides with which it has been working. Your contribution to the ongoing research projects, as well as to the continuity of our research in the area of gap junctions, connexins and panexins, will be essential. (AU)