Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.21 | May 31 2011

Tragara Pharmaceuticals’ Apricoxib Reverses EMT, a Key Process for Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Tragara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that apricoxib (Capoxigem®, TG01) demonstrated reversal of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in xenograft models of several types of solid tumors. [Press release from Tragara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2011 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting]

DavosLife: Vitamin E Tocotrienol Shows Increased Cancer Cell Apoptosis without Toxicity in Phase I Pancreatic Cancer Trial
Davos Life Science announced preliminary results of a Phase I clinical trial of its natural e3 delta-tocotrienol in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. [Press release from PR Newswire discussing research presented at the 2011 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting]

Potential Application of Exalenz Bioscience’s BreathID® Breath Test System in Diagnosing Chronic Pancreatitis Presented as Poster
Exalenz Bioscience, Ltd. announced that clinical study data detailing the potential of the BreathID® Breath Test System and 13C-Di-peptide substrate to diagnose chronic pancreatitis with “good accuracy” was presented. [Press release from Exalenz Bioscience, Ltd. discussing research presented at Digestive Disease Week]

DIABETES

A Nuclear-Receptor-Dependent Phosphatidylcholine Pathway with Antidiabetic Effects
Scientists show that an unusual phosphatidylcholine species with two saturated 12 carbon fatty acid acyl side chains (dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine) is an LRH-1 agonist ligand in vitro. [Nature]

Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Demonstrates a Persistent Capacity to Disrupt Membrane Integrity
Researchers investigate islet amyloid polypeptide, which is implicated in the loss of insulin-secreting cells in type II diabetics. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Transcriptional Profiling of Diabetic Neuropathy in the BKS db/db Mouse: A Model of Type 2 Diabetes
Investigators examined changes in global gene expression to define pathways regulated by diabetes in peripheral nerve. [Diabetes]

An Islet Endothelial Cell Signal of Importance for β-Cell Function
This study tested the hypothesis that endothelial-derived thrombospondin-1 is important for β-cell function. [Diabetes]

Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-β/-δ Ameliorates Insulin Signaling and Reduces SOCS3 Levels by Inhibiting STAT3 in Interleukin-6–Stimulated Adipocytes
Scientists evaluated whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/-δ prevented activation of the interleukin-6-STAT3-suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) pathway and insulin resistance in adipocytes. [Diabetes]

PANCREATIC CANCER

VEGF and c-Met Blockade Amplify Angiogenesis Inhibition in Pancreatic Islet Cancer
This study compared the cellular effects of XL880 and XL184 to those of an receptor tyrosine kinases inhibitor (XL999) that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) but not c-Met. [Cancer Res]

Pancreatic Stellate Cells Radioprotect Pancreatic Cancer Cells through β1-Integrin Signaling
Investigators show that pancreatic stellate cells promote radioprotection and stimulate proliferation in pancreatic cancer cells in direct coculture. [Cancer Res]

Overexpression of GalNAc-Transferase GalNAc-T3 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth
Researchers have found that one of the GalNAc-T enzymes, GalNAc-T3, is overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues and suppression of GalNAc-T3 significantly attenuates the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. [Oncogene]

Genome-Wide Analysis of Promoter Methylation Associated with Gene Expression Profiles of Pancreatic Adenocarcinomas
The goal of this study was to comprehensively identify CpG island methylation alterations between pancreatic cancers and normal pancreata and their associated gene expression alterations. [Clin Cancer Res]

UA62784 Is a Cytotoxic Inhibitor of Microtubules, not CENP-E
A recent screen for compounds that selectively targeted pancreatic cancer cells isolated UA62784. Investigators found that UA62784 inhibits microtubule polymerization in vitro. [Chem Biol]

Calmodulin Mediates FAS-Induced FADD (Fas Associated Protein with Death Domain)-Independent Survival Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Via Activation of Src-ERK
To understand the resistance of pancreatic tumors to Fas death receptor-induced apoptosis, scientists investigated the molecular mechanisms of Fas-activated survival signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. [J Biol Chem]

Clinical Significance of Serum Levels of Immune-Associated Molecules, Uric Acid, Soluble MHC Class I Chain-Related Molecules A and B as Diagnostic Tumor Markers for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic utility of uric acid, soluble MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) compared with those of CA19-9, most commonly available tumor markers for PDAC. [Cancer Sci]

Nuvilex, Inc. Announces Completion of Acquisition of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Technology
Nuvilex, Inc. announces it has completed the acquisition of pancreatic cancer treatment technology from a world leader in living-cell encapsulation technology. [Nuvilex, Inc. Press Release]

American Diabetes Association Announces New Research Grant for Diabetes Technology
The American Diabetes Association announced new research funding to study the effectiveness of technology-based diabetes management devices. [American Diabetes Association Press Release]

Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Funds 36 New Projects in FY 2011
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has completed its review of the 180 applications received in response to its three FY 2011 Requests for Applications (RFAs). [Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund Press Release]

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)
 
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

National Health Service (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

NEW JAX® Type 2 Diabetes Complications Webinar
June 2, 2011
Webinar

NEW Keystone Symposia: Changing Landscape of the Cancer Genome
June 20-25, 2011
Boston, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the pancreatic cell community.

Chemist (STEMCELL Technologies) 

Lab Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Senior Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Diabetes/Cardiovascular Disease (Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellow with Expertise in Endocrinology and Mouse Models of Disease (National Spanish Research Council – CSIC)

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