Biomolecular markers of proliferation and remodeling in acute and chronic respiratory diseases: promising therapeutic targets

Abstract

The prevalence and social cost of respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, silicosis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension are high and some of them have few therapeutic alternatives. The therapy of most of these diseases is based on symptomatic control and not on effective cure. The present proposal has as main objective the understanding of the activation and regulation pathways of the cellular responses to insults and also the development of the underlying mechanisms in the repair and remodeling of the lesions. There is a consensus that the elucidation of the pathways and factors involved in these responses will increase the ability to identify and develop more effective treatments for disease control as proposed in this project. The project will have the participation of researchers linked to 7 different institutions: (1) University of São Paulo: Pathology Department of FMUSP-SP, (2) University of São Paulo: Rheumatology Department of FMUSP-SP, São Paulo: Department of Pathology of FMUSP-RP, (4) Federal University of Rio de Janeiro: Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, (5) Universidade Estadual Paulista: Department of Genetics of IBB / UNESP, (6) Hospital AC Camargo Cancer Center and (7) Hospital de Cancer de Barretos. It is worth emphasizing the active participation of emerging researchers included in the group that maintains a work association and co-authorship of different degrees and extensions, as a result of post-doctoral or postdoctoral orientation histories. Post-doctoral students, graduate students and scientific initiation, as well as laboratory technicians, will participate in different subprojects generated from this proposal already in progress. This project will also count on the collaboration of professors and researchers outside Brazil: Dr. Ignacio Wistuba and Dr. Edwin Roger Parra - The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, USA. Postdoctoral student (Brazil) - The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, USA; Prof. Dr. Sem H. Phan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor-MI, USA. The researchers associated with this proposal propose, with knowledge and experience - in several cases jointly acquired - to advance in the investigation of biomarkers that may contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies in respiratory diseases. (AU)