Our Metabolism Research and Published Papers

P D'Amora, IDCG Silva, AJ Nagourney, SS Evans… - 2025

e17593 Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. The lack of reliable diagnostic tests for early detection has led to the majority of EOC patients being diagnosed with advanced stage disease. Despite …

M Salzgeber, P D'Amora, IDCG Silva, LA Belli… - 2025

e12545 Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of the disease. The propensity of cancer cells to exploit exogenous nutrient sources (auxotrophy) may offer insights into breast cancer …

P D'Amora, IDCG Silva, AJ Nagourney, F Francisco… - 2025

e16409 Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one the most lethal human cancers with an overall 5-year survival of 12%. Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers have the potential to improve early detection and the hope for …

preeclampsia is characterized by intense inflammatory response and an anti-angiogenic state. Maternal obesity has been considered to have important impact on the genesis of preeclampsia as lipotoxicity leads to maternal endothelial dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Here we investigate the plasma lipid profile of preeclamptic women.

Adipose tissue is responsible for triggering chronic systemic inflammatory response and these changes may be involved in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.

To describe the protocol of the SURgically induced Metabolic effects on the Human GastroIntestinal Tract (SURMetaGIT) study, a clinical pan-omics study exploring the gastrointestinal tract as a central organ driving remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The main points considered in the study’s design and challenges faced in its application are detailed.

Scarpelini B, Zanoni M, Sucupira MCA, Truong H-HM, Janini LMR, Segurado IDC, et al. (2016) Plasma Metabolomics Biosignature According to HIV Stage of Infection, Pace of Disease Progression, Viremia Level and Immunological Response to Treatment. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0161920. pmid:27941971

Lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPC) are known to be a pathological component of oxidized-LDL, and several studies demonstrate its pro-inflammatory properties in vitro. Nevertheless, bioactive compounds found in coffee, such as phenolic acids might inhibit LDL oxidation. The relationship between coffee consumption and lysoPC has not been described previously in humans. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between coffee intake and plasma lysoPC levels in adults.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the mechanisms involved in the development of NAFLD in PCOS are not well known. We investigated histological changes and metabolomic profile in the liver of rat models of PCOS phenotype induced by testosterone or estradiol. Two-day old female rats received sc injections of 1.25 mg testosterone propionate (Testos; n = 10), 0.5 mg estradiol benzoate (E2; n = 10), or vehicle (control group, CNT; n = 10). Animals were euthanized at 90–94 d of age and the liver was harvested for histological and metabolomic analyses. Findings showed only Testos group exhibited fatty liver morphology and higher levels of ketogenic and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Enrichment analysis showed effects of testosterone on BCAA degradation pathway and mitochondrial enzymes related to BCAA metabolism. Testos group also had a decreased liver fatty acid elongase 2 (ELOVL2) activity. E2 group had reduced lipid and acylcarnitine metabolites in the liver. Both groups had increased organic cation transporters (SLC22A4 and SLC16A9) activity. These findings indicate that neonatal testosterone treatment, but not estradiol, produces histological changes in female rat liver that mimic NAFLD with testosterone-treated rats showing impaired BCAA metabolism and dysfunctions in ELOVL2, SLC22A4 and SLC16A9 activity.

Although rare, adrenocortical carcinoma is among the most common tumors found in children with Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Li-Fraumeni-like syndrome, associated with germ-line mutations in the TP53 gene. In southern Brazil, one form of Li-Fraumeni syndrome, associated with childhood adrenocortical carcinoma, is caused by a mutation in the R337H TP53 tetramerisation domain and is attributed to a familial founder effect. Adrenocortical carcinoma is considered an aggressive neoplasm, usually of poor prognosis and is generally unresponsive to systemic chemotherapy. Optimal treatment regimens remain to be established. We report the case of a young woman with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma, who achieved stable disease with mitotane, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and etoposide as first-line therapy, but then had an objective response to oral metformin that lasted 9 months. The presence of the R337H TP53 mutation suggests a mechanism for the observed response to metformin.

Colorectal (CRC) is one of the main cause of cancer worldwide. The search for noninvasive markers for diagnosis and monitoring as the use of analytical technologies such as mass spectrometry (MS), which allowed the search for lipid metabolites as candidates for probable biomarkers are needed.

 In the last decade organ preservation protocols

based on chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been showing the

possibility of preserving function without jeopardizing survival for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Still, only a percentage of the patients will

benefit from this approach and, to date, no biomarkers are

known to correctly predict these patients. More recently, modern mass spectrometry method has been used to determine

metabolic profiles, and lipidomics, in particular, emerged as

a new field of study in oncology and other diseases. This study

aimed to analyze the lipid profile on saliva from patients undergoing to a prospective, single center, open-label, nonrandomized phase II trial for organ preservation on HNSCC.

The lipid analysis was performed using matrix-assisted laser

desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry

(MALDI-TOF-MS). Multivariate statistical analyses based

on principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least

square-discriminant analysis were applied to MALDI-TOFMS data to visualize differences between the lipid profiles

and identify potential biomarkers. The results assisted on

distinguishing complete responders from non-responders to

the treatment protocol. In conclusion, we demonstrated that

a group of lipids is differentially abundant in saliva from

HNSCC patients submitted to an organ preservation protocol,

being able to differentiate responders from non-responders.

These results suggest the potential use of lipid biomarkers to

identify patients who may benefit from this treatment. Also,

we showed that saliva testing might be routinely used in clinical practice, for being a non-invasive alternative to blood

testing, besides inexpensive and easy to obtain.