title: Anti-tumoral activity of human salivary peptides.
abstract: Chemotherapy continues to be the standard treatment for advanced or metastasized cancer. However, commonly used chemotherapeutic agents may induce damage in healthy cells and tissues. Thus, in recent years, there has been an increased focus on the development of new, efficient anticancer drugs exhibiting low toxicity and that are not affected by mechanisms of chemoresistance. In the present work, we tested synthetic and naturally obtained human salivary peptides against breast, prostate, colon, osteosarcoma and bladder cancer cell lines (T47-D, PC-3, HT-29, MG63, T-24, respectively). Results have showed that there is a reduced cell population increase that is peptide-, cell- and possibly pathway-specific, with the most potent effect observed in observed in T-47D breast cancer cells. Protein expression and microscopy results further indicate that, in this cell line, the peptide with the sequence GPPPQGGRPQG (GG peptide) interferes with the ability of cell adhesion proteins to stabilize adherens junctions, such as E-cadherin, leading to apoptosis. These promising results encourage future works aimed at disclosing the vast potential of salivary peptides as new therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Pinto
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carvalhais
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amado
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Institute for Biomedicine-iBiMED, Health Sciences Program, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: luisa.helguero@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Helguero
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Institute for Biomedicine-iBiMED, Health Sciences Program, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: rvitorino@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vitorino
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015820:Cadherins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides
keywords: Anti-tumoral activity; Human saliva; Salivary peptides