Expertise in cellular immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology, and molecular biology. Researcher in the Tropical Medicine graduate program at UnB (University of Brasília). Postdoctoral studies in Cellular Immunology and Molecular Biology.
EDUCATION
PhD in Molecular Biology (2018-2023)
MSc in Molecular Pathology (2016-2018)
BSc in Biotechnology (2011-2016)
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Immunology and Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology
5
Scopus Publications
171
Scholar Citations
4
Scholar h-index
4
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
The omega-3 DHA induces pyroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in ovarian cancer cells via ROS and caspase-1 activation Gabriel Pasquarelli-do-Nascimento, Sarah Pinho Bezerra, Júlia Perin Manchine, Nathalia Cristina Silva Lago, Heloísa Antoniella Braz-de-Melo, et al. Cell Death Discovery, 2026 Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies due to late diagnosis, limited treatment options, and frequent chemoresistance. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, has been associated with anti-tumor effects in various cancer models. Here, we investigated the effects of DHA on cell death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function in A2780 human ovarian cancer cells. Our data show that DHA decreases cell viability and proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, promoting lytic cell death with increased membrane permeability and LDH release. We identified pyroptosis as the predominant death mechanism, evidenced by caspase-1 activation, pore formation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. DHA treatment rapidly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial superoxide levels, which were essential for both membrane pore formation and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Notably, ROS scavenging with N-acetylcysteine reversed DHA-induced mitochondrial damage and pyroptosis, indicating ROS dependence. Furthermore, DHA reduced mitochondrial content and impaired spare respiratory capacity, suggesting disrupted mitochondrial adaptability. Caspase-1 inhibition restored both mitochondrial integrity and respiratory function, highlighting a mechanistic role for caspase-1 in mediating DHA-induced bioenergetic dysfunction. Collectively, our findings reveal that DHA compromises ovarian cancer cell survival by triggering ROS- and caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study expands the understanding of DHA’s anti-cancer mechanisms and positions it as a promising candidate for adjuvant therapies targeting mitochondrial vulnerabilities and immunogenic cell death pathways in ovarian cancer.
Metacyclogenesis as the Starting Point of Chagas Disease Alessandro Zanard Lopes Ferreira, Carla Nunes de Araújo, Isabela Cunha Costa Cardoso, Karen Stephanie de Souza Mangabeira, Amanda Pereira Rocha, et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024 Chagas disease is a neglected infectious disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, primarily transmitted by triatomine vectors, and it threatens approximately seventy-five million people worldwide. This parasite undergoes a complex life cycle, transitioning between hosts and shifting from extracellular to intracellular stages. To ensure its survival in these diverse environments, T. cruzi undergoes extreme morphological and molecular changes. The metacyclic trypomastigote (MT) form, which arises from the metacyclogenesis (MTG) process in the triatomine hindgut, serves as a crucial link between the insect and human hosts and can be considered the starting point of Chagas disease. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge regarding the parasite’s life cycle, molecular pathways, and mechanisms involved in metabolic and morphological adaptations during MTG, enabling the MT to evade the immune system and successfully infect human cells.
The First Contact of Human Dendritic Cells With Trypanosoma cruzi Reveals Response to Virus as an Unexplored Central Pathway Natalia Gil-Jaramillo, Amanda Pereira Rocha, Tainá Raiol, Flávia Nader Motta, Cecília Favali, et al. Frontiers in Immunology, 2021 Chagas disease is a debilitating and neglected disease caused by the protozoanTrypanosoma cruzi. Soon after infection, interactions amongT. cruziand host innate immunity cells can drive/contribute to disease outcome. Dendritic cells (DCs), present in all tissues, are one of the first immune cells to interact withTrypanosoma cruzimetacyclic trypomastigotes. Elucidating the immunological events triggered immediately after parasite-human DCs encounter may aid in understanding the role of DCs in the establishment of infection and in the course of the disease. Therefore, we performed a transcriptomic analysis of a 12 h interaction betweenT. cruziand MoDCs (monocyte-derived DCs) from three human donors. Enrichment analyses of the 468 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed viral infection response as the most regulated pathway. Additionally, exogenous antigen processing and presentation through MHC-I, chemokine signaling, lymphocyte co-stimulation, metallothioneins, and inflammasome activation were found up-regulated. Notable, we were able to identify the increased gene expression of alternative inflammasome sensors such as AIM2, IFI16, and RIG-I for the first time in aT. cruziinfection. Both transcript and protein expression levels suggest proinflammatory cytokine production during earlyT. cruzi-DCs contact. Our transcriptome data unveil antiviral pathways as an unexplored process duringT. cruzi-DC initial interaction, disclosing a new panorama for the study of Chagas disease outcomes.
Synthetic biology and climate change: innovations for a sustainable future EF da Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, ... Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 60, e04148 , 2025 2025.0
Cell-Free Production of Soybean Leghemoglobins and Nonsymbiotic Hemoglobin AP Rocha, MA Palmeiras, MA deOliveira, LH Florentino, TR Cataldi, ... ACS Synthetic Biology 14 (9), 3445-3456 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 1
Biologia sintética e mudanças climáticas: inovações para um futuro sustentável EF da Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, ... Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 60, e04148 , 2025 2025.0
Interaction Between Macrophages and Cryptococcus neoformans : Distinguishing Phagocytosed Versus External Fungi AP Rocha, TS Alves, AV Caixeta, P Albuquerque, AM Nicola Cryptococcus neoformans: Methods and Protocols, 171-193 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
IL-10 -592 C/A polymorphism association with hemorrhagic stroke/aneurysm and their risk factors. AP ROCHA, S Bonnaser, L., S., S Silva, C., M., S Silva, H., C., O Freire., D., ... Concilium 24, 536-550 , 2024 2024.0
Metacyclogenesis as the starting point of chagas disease AZL Ferreira, CN de Araújo, ICC Cardoso, KS de Souza Mangabeira, ... International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25 (1), 117 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 14
The First Contact of Human Dendritic Cells With Trypanosoma cruzi Reveals Response to Virus as an Unexplored Central Pathway N Gil-Jaramillo, AP Rocha, T Raiol, FN Motta, C Favali, MM Brigido, ... Frontiers in Immunology 12, 638020 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 13
Prolyl Oligopeptidase From Leishmania infantum : Biochemical Characterization and Involvement in Macrophage Infection C Lasse, CS Azevedo, CN De Araújo, FN Motta, MA Andrade, AP Rocha, ... Frontiers in Microbiology 11, 1060 , 2020 2020.0 Citations: 12
Efficient shoot organogenesis of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) induced by thidiazuron C Magioli, APM Rocha, DE De Oliveira, E Mansur Plant Cell Reports 17 (8), 661-663 , 1998 1998.0 Citations: 129
Caracterização genética por RAPD de raças bovinas brasileiras AA Egito, A Rocha, BCA Alves, RB Lôbo, CA Moreira-Filho Resumos , 1998 1998.0
Marcador macho-específico encontrado por análise de RAPD em touros da raça nelore A Rocha, CA Moreira-Filho, BCA Alves, AA Egito Revista Brasileira de Genética 20 (3 supl.), 274 , 1997 1997.0
Obtenção de marcadores moleculares do tipo RAPD para precocidade reprodutiva em touros da raça nelore A Rocha, BCA Alves, MMM Unanian, EF Silva, CA Moreira-Filho Resumos , 1997 1997.0
Synthetic biology and climate change: innovations for a sustainable future EF Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, MMC Araujo, ... Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira , 0
O papel da melanina e da lacase 1 de Cryptococcus neoformans na inflamação e morte celular de macrófagos humanos AP Rocha
Validação do transcriptoma por meio da análise de expressão de genes de células dendríticas na presença de Trypanosoma cruzi AP Rocha
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Efficient shoot organogenesis of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) induced by thidiazuron C Magioli, APM Rocha, DE De Oliveira, E Mansur Plant Cell Reports 17 (8), 661-663 , 1998 1998.0 Citations: 129
Metacyclogenesis as the starting point of chagas disease AZL Ferreira, CN de Araújo, ICC Cardoso, KS de Souza Mangabeira, ... International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25 (1), 117 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 14
The First Contact of Human Dendritic Cells With Trypanosoma cruzi Reveals Response to Virus as an Unexplored Central Pathway N Gil-Jaramillo, AP Rocha, T Raiol, FN Motta, C Favali, MM Brigido, ... Frontiers in Immunology 12, 638020 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 13
Prolyl Oligopeptidase From Leishmania infantum : Biochemical Characterization and Involvement in Macrophage Infection C Lasse, CS Azevedo, CN De Araújo, FN Motta, MA Andrade, AP Rocha, ... Frontiers in Microbiology 11, 1060 , 2020 2020.0 Citations: 12
Interaction Between Macrophages and Cryptococcus neoformans : Distinguishing Phagocytosed Versus External Fungi AP Rocha, TS Alves, AV Caixeta, P Albuquerque, AM Nicola Cryptococcus neoformans: Methods and Protocols, 171-193 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
Cell-Free Production of Soybean Leghemoglobins and Nonsymbiotic Hemoglobin AP Rocha, MA Palmeiras, MA deOliveira, LH Florentino, TR Cataldi, ... ACS Synthetic Biology 14 (9), 3445-3456 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 1
Synthetic biology and climate change: innovations for a sustainable future EF da Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, ... Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 60, e04148 , 2025 2025.0
Biologia sintética e mudanças climáticas: inovações para um futuro sustentável EF da Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, ... Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 60, e04148 , 2025 2025.0
IL-10 -592 C/A polymorphism association with hemorrhagic stroke/aneurysm and their risk factors. AP ROCHA, S Bonnaser, L., S., S Silva, C., M., S Silva, H., C., O Freire., D., ... Concilium 24, 536-550 , 2024 2024.0
Caracterização genética por RAPD de raças bovinas brasileiras AA Egito, A Rocha, BCA Alves, RB Lôbo, CA Moreira-Filho Resumos , 1998 1998.0
Marcador macho-específico encontrado por análise de RAPD em touros da raça nelore A Rocha, CA Moreira-Filho, BCA Alves, AA Egito Revista Brasileira de Genética 20 (3 supl.), 274 , 1997 1997.0
Obtenção de marcadores moleculares do tipo RAPD para precocidade reprodutiva em touros da raça nelore A Rocha, BCA Alves, MMM Unanian, EF Silva, CA Moreira-Filho Resumos , 1997 1997.0
Synthetic biology and climate change: innovations for a sustainable future EF Silva, MA Palmeiras, AP Rocha, PV Pascoal, NV Prado, MMC Araujo, ... Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira , 0
O papel da melanina e da lacase 1 de Cryptococcus neoformans na inflamação e morte celular de macrófagos humanos AP Rocha
Validação do transcriptoma por meio da análise de expressão de genes de células dendríticas na presença de Trypanosoma cruzi AP Rocha
