IP: Dr. Félix Gómez Gallego

Resumen del proyecto: Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified as a key in initiation, progression, metástasis and anti-cancer drug resistance in a great deal of human tumors. Recently, it has been shown in pancreatic cancer that while non tumor stem cells are essentially glycolytic, the CSC are strongly dependent on oxidative metabolism. In this sense, mitochondria and its function are presented as interesting targets for further study in the development of different types of tumors. Our working hypothesis is based on the proposal that genetic variants related to mitochondrial biogenesis and proliferation may be associated with tumor development due to the fact that an increased mitochondrial activity may involve an alteration in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway and, therefore, act in CSC as promoters or inhibitors in the growth and development of tumors in their different phases. Thus, in the present work we aim to analyze the prevalence, in healthy women and women with breast, lung or colorectal cancer, of the main genetic polymorphisms of genes involved in these biogenesis mitochondrial pathways: rs2267668 of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD), rs8192678 of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PPARGC1A o PGC1-), rs694152 and rs12594956 of the nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) and 2 (NRF2) respectively and rs8192678 of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). The study also will look for associations between these polymorphisms individually or in combination and the presence or development of different tumors.

Entidad financiadora: Universidad Europea de Madrid