Câncer é a denominação para um grupo de doenças devastadoras caracterizadas pelo crescimento e multiplicação descontrolados de células anormais que são capazes de invadir estruturas próximas e se espalhar por diversas regiões do organismo.Trata-se de um grande problema de saúde pública mundial, fazendo milhares de novas vítimas a cada ano. De acordo com o Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA), são estimados cerca de 580 mil casos novos da doença no Brasil para 2014. A presente tese de doutorado teve como foco principal a identificação e o desenvolvimento de novas moléculas com atividade anticâncer, através de triagens biológicas de compostos de origem natural e sintética, e do estudo das relações entre a estrutura e atividade (SAR). Triagens in vitro de derivados sintéticos do ácido gálico, ácido protocatecuico e guanidínicos, além de uma variedade de produtos naturais, possibilitaram a identificação de agentes inibidores da migração e proliferação de células tumorais metastáticas. Uma série de derivados sintéticos indólicos e espirocicloexadienonas, com potente efeito inibitório da migração celular, teve caracterizada a sua ação frente à proteína tubulina, alvo molecular de compostos importantes como o taxol, a vimblastina e a colchicina. Ensaios de imunofluorescência revelaram a ação dos compostos associada a alterações do citoesqueleto celular. Também foram realizados o planejamento e a síntese de três cadeias peptídicas por meio da metodologia de síntese peptídica em fase sólida. Os resultados da avaliação biológica dos peptídeos indicaram o efeito de inibição na migração e proliferação de células tumorais de mama. Finalmente, estudos de metabolômica de duas linhagens tumorais de mama foram conduzidos através de análises de RMN do material celular cultivado. / Cancer is a group of devastating diseases characterized by the abnormal growth of defective cells which invade adjacent tissues and eventually disseminate to several locations of the body. It is a major public health problem, affecting thousands of people each year. According to the brazilian National Institute of Cancer (INCA), approximately 580,000 new cases of cancer are predicted for the year of 2014 in Brazil. The main goal of this PhD thesis was the identification and development of new molecules possessing anticancer activity, through biological screenings of compounds from natural and synthetic sources, as well as the investigation of structure-activity relationships (SAR). In vitro screening of synthetic derivatives of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and guanidines, along with a diverse set of natural products, allowed the identification of inhibitors of cellular migration and metastatic cell proliferation. A series of synthetic indolic derivatives and cyclohexanediones, having potent inhibitory activity in cellular migration, was characterized upon tubulin, an important macromolecular target for compounds such as taxol, vinblastine and colchicine. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that the compounds act by altering the cellular cytoskeleton. The design and synthesis of three polypeptides were also performed through solid phase synthesis. The biological evaluation of the peptides demonstrated their inhibition effects on the migration and proliferation of breast cancer cells. Finally, metabolomic studies of two strains of breast cancer cells were conducted by NMR analyses of cellular cultures.

Biological cell manipulation and analysis is one of the most investigated applications of microfluidics. In the last decade, researchers have developed means to handle and sort cells, isolate and study single cells, assay whole and lysed cells, and transfect and electroporate in microchannels. Much of this work was motivated by the observation that many external forces and fields scale favorably in the micro-regime; this is especially the case for the electrical field. This dissertation investigates further integration of electrical forces with microfluidic devices, both channel- and droplet-based, in order to generate new, flexible and more efficient tools for studying cell biology. The first part of the dissertation (Chapter 3) explores a new dielectrophoretic particle separation method in microchannels. Current electrodeless dielectrophoretic (DEP) separation techniques utilize insulating solid obstacles in a direct current (DC) or low-frequency alternating current (AC) field, while this novel method employs an oil droplet acting as an insulating hurdle between two electrodes. Since the size of the droplet can be dynamically changed, the electric field gradient, and hence DEP force, becomes easily controllable and adjustable to various separation parameters. Very effective separation at the low field strength suggests that this method can also be applied to a separation of biological cells that are not sensitive to low electric potential. The second, larger part of the dissertation (Chapters 4 and 5) is focused on digital microfluidics (DMF), which is used to actuate nanoliter droplets of reagents and cells on a planar array of electrodes. It was demonstrated for the first time that DMF can be used as a method for cell culture and analysis. Several cell-based applications were implemented in DMF format including long-term culture, cell passaging, assaying and transfection. The data presented here suggest advanced performance of DMF techniques relative to standard macro-scale techniques. Cell analysis using DMF was found to be advantageous because of greatly reduced reagent and cell use, increased sensitivity, and the potential for multiplexing. Also, DMF technique for cell passaging demonstrated faster and more straightforward manipulation of cells than the standard techniques. In addition, no adverse effects of actuation by DMF were observed in assays for cell viability, proliferation, and biochemistry. The new DMF platform for long-term mammalian cell culture represents the first microfluidic implementation of any kind of all of the steps required for mammalian cell culture – cell seeding, growth, detachment, and re-seeding on a fresh surface. In addition, it is the first demonstration of long-term cell culture in nanoliter droplets. Cells handled in this manner exhibited growth characteristics and morphology comparable to those cultured in standard tissue culture vessels. We anticipate that the DMF cell culture and analysis techniques presented here will be useful in myriad applications that would benefit from automated mammalian cell culture.

Biological cell manipulation and analysis is one of the most investigated applications of microfluidics. In the last decade, researchers have developed means to handle and sort cells, isolate and study single cells, assay whole and lysed cells, and transfect and electroporate in microchannels. Much of this work was motivated by the observation that many external forces and fields scale favorably in the micro-regime; this is especially the case for the electrical field. This dissertation investigates further integration of electrical forces with microfluidic devices, both channel- and droplet-based, in order to generate new, flexible and more efficient tools for studying cell biology. The first part of the dissertation (Chapter 3) explores a new dielectrophoretic particle separation method in microchannels. Current electrodeless dielectrophoretic (DEP) separation techniques utilize insulating solid obstacles in a direct current (DC) or low-frequency alternating current (AC) field, while this novel method employs an oil droplet acting as an insulating hurdle between two electrodes. Since the size of the droplet can be dynamically changed, the electric field gradient, and hence DEP force, becomes easily controllable and adjustable to various separation parameters. Very effective separation at the low field strength suggests that this method can also be applied to a separation of biological cells that are not sensitive to low electric potential. The second, larger part of the dissertation (Chapters 4 and 5) is focused on digital microfluidics (DMF), which is used to actuate nanoliter droplets of reagents and cells on a planar array of electrodes. It was demonstrated for the first time that DMF can be used as a method for cell culture and analysis. Several cell-based applications were implemented in DMF format including long-term culture, cell passaging, assaying and transfection. The data presented here suggest advanced performance of DMF techniques relative to standard macro-scale techniques. Cell analysis using DMF was found to be advantageous because of greatly reduced reagent and cell use, increased sensitivity, and the potential for multiplexing. Also, DMF technique for cell passaging demonstrated faster and more straightforward manipulation of cells than the standard techniques. In addition, no adverse effects of actuation by DMF were observed in assays for cell viability, proliferation, and biochemistry. The new DMF platform for long-term mammalian cell culture represents the first microfluidic implementation of any kind of all of the steps required for mammalian cell culture – cell seeding, growth, detachment, and re-seeding on a fresh surface. In addition, it is the first demonstration of long-term cell culture in nanoliter droplets. Cells handled in this manner exhibited growth characteristics and morphology comparable to those cultured in standard tissue culture vessels. We anticipate that the DMF cell culture and analysis techniques presented here will be useful in myriad applications that would benefit from automated mammalian cell culture.

Câncer é a denominação para um grupo de doenças devastadoras caracterizadas pelo crescimento e multiplicação descontrolados de células anormais que são capazes de invadir estruturas próximas e se espalhar por diversas regiões do organismo.Trata-se de um grande problema de saúde pública mundial, fazendo milhares de novas vítimas a cada ano. De acordo com o Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA), são estimados cerca de 580 mil casos novos da doença no Brasil para 2014. A presente tese de doutorado teve como foco principal a identificação e o desenvolvimento de novas moléculas com atividade anticâncer, através de triagens biológicas de compostos de origem natural e sintética, e do estudo das relações entre a estrutura e atividade (SAR). Triagens in vitro de derivados sintéticos do ácido gálico, ácido protocatecuico e guanidínicos, além de uma variedade de produtos naturais, possibilitaram a identificação de agentes inibidores da migração e proliferação de células tumorais metastáticas. Uma série de derivados sintéticos indólicos e espirocicloexadienonas, com potente efeito inibitório da migração celular, teve caracterizada a sua ação frente à proteína tubulina, alvo molecular de compostos importantes como o taxol, a vimblastina e a colchicina. Ensaios de imunofluorescência revelaram a ação dos compostos associada a alterações do citoesqueleto celular. Também foram realizados o planejamento e a síntese de três cadeias peptídicas por meio da metodologia de síntese peptídica em fase sólida. Os resultados da avaliação biológica dos peptídeos indicaram o efeito de inibição na migração e proliferação de células tumorais de mama. Finalmente, estudos de metabolômica de duas linhagens tumorais de mama foram conduzidos através de análises de RMN do material celular cultivado. / Cancer is a group of devastating diseases characterized by the abnormal growth of defective cells which invade adjacent tissues and eventually disseminate to several locations of the body. It is a major public health problem, affecting thousands of people each year. According to the brazilian National Institute of Cancer (INCA), approximately 580,000 new cases of cancer are predicted for the year of 2014 in Brazil. The main goal of this PhD thesis was the identification and development of new molecules possessing anticancer activity, through biological screenings of compounds from natural and synthetic sources, as well as the investigation of structure-activity relationships (SAR). In vitro screening of synthetic derivatives of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and guanidines, along with a diverse set of natural products, allowed the identification of inhibitors of cellular migration and metastatic cell proliferation. A series of synthetic indolic derivatives and cyclohexanediones, having potent inhibitory activity in cellular migration, was characterized upon tubulin, an important macromolecular target for compounds such as taxol, vinblastine and colchicine. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that the compounds act by altering the cellular cytoskeleton. The design and synthesis of three polypeptides were also performed through solid phase synthesis. The biological evaluation of the peptides demonstrated their inhibition effects on the migration and proliferation of breast cancer cells. Finally, metabolomic studies of two strains of breast cancer cells were conducted by NMR analyses of cellular cultures.

Câncer é a denominação de um conjunto de mais de cem doenças causadas pelo crescimento e multiplicação desordenados de células anormais capazes de invadir e se disseminar por diversos tecidos e órgãos. É considerado um problema de saúde mundial, sendo uma das maiores causas de morte. Dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) indicam que 15% das mortes no mundo serão causadas por câncer em 2015. No Brasil, o Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA) estima 580 mil novos casos da doença para 2014. Apesar da vasta quimioterapia disponível, os tratamentos possuem alta toxicidade e estão sujeitos à resistência. Nesse contexto, a presente dissertação de mestrado tem como foco principal a identificação e caracterização de novos compostos com propriedades anticâncer. Os estudos foram realizados com base em dois alvos principais. O primeiro foi a proteína tubulina, um alvo anticâncer validado que é modulado por moléculas importantes como o taxol, a vimblastina e a colchicina. O segundo alvo foi a migração celular, característica relacionada ao processo de metástase, que é responsável por 90% das mortes por câncer. Uma série de acridinonas sintéticas foi avaliada in silico frente à proteína tubulina empregando métodos de modelagem molecular. Para tanto, fez-se uso de estruturas cristalográficas da proteína disponíveis no PDB (Protein Data Bank). Os resultados das análises de docagem molecular indicaram que as moléculas poderiam interagir com o sítio da colchicina e, dessa forma, atuariam como inibidoras da polimerização dos microtúbulos. Ensaios wound healing e em câmara de Boyden permitiram a identificação de quatro compostos com potente efeito de inibição da migração celular (valores de IC50 variando entre 0,294 e 1,7 μM) em uma linhagem metastática (MDA-MB-231). Estes compostos foram submetidos a ensaios de citotoxicidade frente à mesma linhagem tumoral e também apresentaram boa potência, com valores de IC50 variando entre 0,110 e 3 μM. Além disso, ensaios de citotoxicidade em células saudáveis mostraram que estes compostos inviabilizaram seletivamente células tumorais. Para a validação dos estudos in silico, ensaios de polimerização da tubulina foram conduzidos. Os resultados mostraram que as quatro moléculas ativas nos ensaios celulares atuam como inibidores de polimerização dos microtúbulos, com valores de IC50 variando entre 0,9 e 13 μM. Estudos das relações entre a estrutura e atividade (SAR) revelaram alguns aspectos interessantes nesta série de acridinonas, como, por exemplo, a perda de atividade, que se deu tanto nos ensaios celulares quanto nos ensaios bioquímicos, causada pela substituição de um grupo nitro da posição meta- por para- em duas moléculas da série. A progressão do ciclo celular foi analisada por citometria de fluxo e os resultados mostraram que os compostos estudados são capazes de interromper o ciclo celular entre as fases G2 e M. A citometria fluxo também permitiu verificar a indução da apoptose celular devida à ação das moléculas. Em resumo, este trabalho possibilitou a identificação e caracterização de quatro compostos com propriedades antitumorais promissoras que serão utilizados como compostos líderes para posterior desenvolvimento como agentes anticâncer. / Cancer is a set of diseases with high diversity and aggressiveness. It is one of the major causes of death according to the World Health Organization (WHO), being responsible for 15% of worldwide deaths in 2015. In Brazil, the National Institute of Cancer (INCA) estimates 580,000 new cases of cancer for the year of 2014. Despite the vast availability of cancer chemotherapy, the treatments cause high toxic effects and are liable to resistance. In this context, the main goal of the present master\'s dissertation is the identification and the characterization of new compounds having anticancer properties. These studies were conducted based on two main targets. The first one was the protein tubulin, a validated anticancer target that is modulated by important molecules such as taxol, vinblastine and colchicine. The second target was the cellular migration, a feature related to the metastasis process, which causes 90% of the cancer deaths. A series of synthetic acridinones was studied in silico employing molecular modeling methods. For this, crystallographic structures of tubulin were collected from PDB (Protein Data Bank). The docking results indicated that the molecules could interact with the colchicine site and, thereby, could act as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. The series was assessed by the wound healing and Boyden chamber\'s assays using the metastatic cell line MDA-MB-231. In these assays, four compounds were identified as good inhibitors of cellular migration (IC50 values varying between 0.294 and 1.7 μM). These compounds were evaluated in cytotoxicity assays using the same cell line and presented good potency, with IC50 values varying between 0.110 and 3 μM. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assays using a healthy cell line showed that these compounds act selectively in tumor cells. For the validation of the in silico studies, tubulin polymerization assays were conducted. The results showed that the four active molecules in the cellular assays act as tubulin polymerization inhibitors, with IC50 values varying between 0.9 and 13 μM. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed interesting structural aspects in this series of acridinones, for instance, the exchange of the nitro group substituent from the meta- to the para- position in two molecules of the series led to a lack of activity in both cellular and biochemical assays. The cell cycle progression was evaluated by flow cytometry, and the results showed that the four compounds are capable of arrest cells in the G2/M phase. Moreover, the apoptosis induction was verified using flow cytometry. In summary, this work provided the identification and characterization of four new compounds with promising antitumor properties. These molecules will be used as lead compounds for further development as anticancer agents.

Câncer é a denominação de um conjunto de mais de cem doenças causadas pelo crescimento e multiplicação desordenados de células anormais capazes de invadir e se disseminar por diversos tecidos e órgãos. É considerado um problema de saúde mundial, sendo uma das maiores causas de morte. Dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) indicam que 15% das mortes no mundo serão causadas por câncer em 2015. No Brasil, o Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA) estima 580 mil novos casos da doença para 2014. Apesar da vasta quimioterapia disponível, os tratamentos possuem alta toxicidade e estão sujeitos à resistência. Nesse contexto, a presente dissertação de mestrado tem como foco principal a identificação e caracterização de novos compostos com propriedades anticâncer. Os estudos foram realizados com base em dois alvos principais. O primeiro foi a proteína tubulina, um alvo anticâncer validado que é modulado por moléculas importantes como o taxol, a vimblastina e a colchicina. O segundo alvo foi a migração celular, característica relacionada ao processo de metástase, que é responsável por 90% das mortes por câncer. Uma série de acridinonas sintéticas foi avaliada in silico frente à proteína tubulina empregando métodos de modelagem molecular. Para tanto, fez-se uso de estruturas cristalográficas da proteína disponíveis no PDB (Protein Data Bank). Os resultados das análises de docagem molecular indicaram que as moléculas poderiam interagir com o sítio da colchicina e, dessa forma, atuariam como inibidoras da polimerização dos microtúbulos. Ensaios wound healing e em câmara de Boyden permitiram a identificação de quatro compostos com potente efeito de inibição da migração celular (valores de IC50 variando entre 0,294 e 1,7 μM) em uma linhagem metastática (MDA-MB-231). Estes compostos foram submetidos a ensaios de citotoxicidade frente à mesma linhagem tumoral e também apresentaram boa potência, com valores de IC50 variando entre 0,110 e 3 μM. Além disso, ensaios de citotoxicidade em células saudáveis mostraram que estes compostos inviabilizaram seletivamente células tumorais. Para a validação dos estudos in silico, ensaios de polimerização da tubulina foram conduzidos. Os resultados mostraram que as quatro moléculas ativas nos ensaios celulares atuam como inibidores de polimerização dos microtúbulos, com valores de IC50 variando entre 0,9 e 13 μM. Estudos das relações entre a estrutura e atividade (SAR) revelaram alguns aspectos interessantes nesta série de acridinonas, como, por exemplo, a perda de atividade, que se deu tanto nos ensaios celulares quanto nos ensaios bioquímicos, causada pela substituição de um grupo nitro da posição meta- por para- em duas moléculas da série. A progressão do ciclo celular foi analisada por citometria de fluxo e os resultados mostraram que os compostos estudados são capazes de interromper o ciclo celular entre as fases G2 e M. A citometria fluxo também permitiu verificar a indução da apoptose celular devida à ação das moléculas. Em resumo, este trabalho possibilitou a identificação e caracterização de quatro compostos com propriedades antitumorais promissoras que serão utilizados como compostos líderes para posterior desenvolvimento como agentes anticâncer. / Cancer is a set of diseases with high diversity and aggressiveness. It is one of the major causes of death according to the World Health Organization (WHO), being responsible for 15% of worldwide deaths in 2015. In Brazil, the National Institute of Cancer (INCA) estimates 580,000 new cases of cancer for the year of 2014. Despite the vast availability of cancer chemotherapy, the treatments cause high toxic effects and are liable to resistance. In this context, the main goal of the present master\'s dissertation is the identification and the characterization of new compounds having anticancer properties. These studies were conducted based on two main targets. The first one was the protein tubulin, a validated anticancer target that is modulated by important molecules such as taxol, vinblastine and colchicine. The second target was the cellular migration, a feature related to the metastasis process, which causes 90% of the cancer deaths. A series of synthetic acridinones was studied in silico employing molecular modeling methods. For this, crystallographic structures of tubulin were collected from PDB (Protein Data Bank). The docking results indicated that the molecules could interact with the colchicine site and, thereby, could act as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. The series was assessed by the wound healing and Boyden chamber\'s assays using the metastatic cell line MDA-MB-231. In these assays, four compounds were identified as good inhibitors of cellular migration (IC50 values varying between 0.294 and 1.7 μM). These compounds were evaluated in cytotoxicity assays using the same cell line and presented good potency, with IC50 values varying between 0.110 and 3 μM. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assays using a healthy cell line showed that these compounds act selectively in tumor cells. For the validation of the in silico studies, tubulin polymerization assays were conducted. The results showed that the four active molecules in the cellular assays act as tubulin polymerization inhibitors, with IC50 values varying between 0.9 and 13 μM. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed interesting structural aspects in this series of acridinones, for instance, the exchange of the nitro group substituent from the meta- to the para- position in two molecules of the series led to a lack of activity in both cellular and biochemical assays. The cell cycle progression was evaluated by flow cytometry, and the results showed that the four compounds are capable of arrest cells in the G2/M phase. Moreover, the apoptosis induction was verified using flow cytometry. In summary, this work provided the identification and characterization of four new compounds with promising antitumor properties. These molecules will be used as lead compounds for further development as anticancer agents.

The objective of this research is to develop fundamental understanding of cell-substrate (CS) and cell-cell (CC) interactions in the culture space for time evolving cell cultures. Space resolved CC and CS interactions are important indicators of cell-density distribution, localized cellular behavior, and multiple cell-layers which are differentiators of normal and abnormal cell behavior. In this research, CS and CC interactions and the variations therein due to a) Cell growth, 2) cell-drug interaction, and 3) effect of Cytotoxin were studied using multielectrode, multi-frequency Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Contemporary impedance based methods sense either CC or CS interaction as a space averaged macroscopic quantity. A major contribution of this research is that, both CC and CS interactions are recorded and analyzed with spatio-temporal resolution. This research led to the development of an automated cell culture monitoring system, namely, CellMap. A planar eight electrode sensor was fabricated on a glass substrate and interfaced with a switching circuit. The switching circuit sequentially selects consecutive electrodes upon input of a 5V trigger pulse which is generated by the frequency response analyzer at the end of each frequency scan, thereby facilitating automated switching and recording of multielectrode dataset. Calibration standards and protocols were developed to null the channel parasitics of individual channels. A set of eight impedance measurements for eight electrodes constitutes a "frame". Frames are recorded at regular time intervals over the desired course of time. Impedance mapping of adhesion, spreading, motility and detachment of OvCa429 ovarian cancer cells was performed over a period of 70 hours. The cell-layer resistance, which indicates cell-cell contact, increased as a function of time until confluence, and decreased thereafter due to cell death and detachment. This was also confirmed by optical microscopy observations. Similarly, the cell layer Constant Phase Element (CPE) parameters, which were found to correlate well with cell density distribution, also increased as a function of time until confluence and decreased thereafter. Additionally, the cell-growth mapping revealed that the CellMap system is able to resolve non-uniform cell distributions in the culture space, which may be useful in differentiating between normal and pathological cells.