TRT Brazil (2023-2024)

Pharmacological modulation of p38 on the response of gliomas to radiotherapy

This project explores the pharmacological modulation of the p38/MAPK pathway in human glioma cells in combination with radiotherapy. Gliomas are aggressive primary brain tumors, and the MAPK pathway plays a critical role in their progression. This innovative, translational research aims to make meaningful contributions to the fields of Pharmacology and Oncology. We investigated whether treatment with p38-MAPK inhibitors can influence glioma cell growth and migration, and whether it can enhance the therapeutic effects of radiation. Our goal is to deepen the understanding of tumor progression and to support the development of novel pharmacological strategies for glioma treatment.

An article related to the project was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, Grave et al., 2022 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.975197

The related work "Study of the action of protein kinase inhibitors in the response of gliomas to radiotherapy" received the Mario Tannhauser Award at the IV Gaucho Symposium on Pharmacology, 2024 (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jnwzk1Ot4Y06rPSlf8IdCv3NXePlgrSD ).

Researchers

Prof. Dr. Fernanda Bueno Morrone, Head of Applied Pharmacological Laboratory at PUCRS)

Dr. Fernando Mendonça Diz, Reseacher Brain Institute at InsCer-PUCRS

Prof. Dr. Jaderson Costa da Costa, Dean of Brain Institute at InsCer-PUCRS

Prof. Dr. Guido Lenz, Heat of LabSinal at UFRGS

Prof. Dr. Marcelo Lamers, Professor at UFGRS

Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer, University of Tübingen

Prof. Dr. Lars Zender, IfIt, University of Tübingen

Dr. Marcia Goettert, IfIt, University of Tübingen

“I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to live a remarkable scientific experience in Tübingen and to be part of a project that holds significant relevance in oncology"

Dr. Fernando Mendonça Diz

Connection between InsCer and the University of Tübingen:

Prof. Stefan Laufer visited InsCer at PUCRS to discuss the PLATGENEDT project, a 2024 FINEP-winning initiative developing gene-editing therapies for neurons with mTOR mutations, aiming to advance treatments for epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other mTOR-related conditions.

More information!