DIABETES & PANCREATITIS Reprogramming of Human Pancreatic Exocrine Cells to β-Like Cells Rodent acinar cells exhibit a remarkable plasticity as they can transdifferentiate to duct-, hepatocyte- and islet β-like cells. Researchers evaluated whether exocrine cells from adult human pancreas can similarly respond to proendocrine stimuli. [Cell Death Differ] Full Article Periostin Induces Pancreatic Regeneration Injection of periostin directly into the pancreas stimulated proliferation of vimentin expressing cells within 24 hours and by three days a mesenchymal stroma was present containing proliferating duct-like cells expressing the progenitor markers Ngn3 and Pdx1. [Endocrinology] Abstract Discovery of Novel Vitamin D-Regulated Proteins in INS-1 Cells; A Proteomic Approach Researchers employed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture in combination with LC-MS/MS to quantitatively assess the impact of the two vitamin D metabolites, 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 25-(OH)D3, on global protein expression on a model rat β-cell line, insulinoma-derived INS-1 cells. [Diabetes Metab Res Rev] Abstract Beneficial Effects of Tigerinin-1R on Glucose Homeostasis and Beta Cell Function in Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity-Diabetes Researchers investigated the anti-diabetic effects of tigerinin-1R, an amphibian host defense peptide, in mice with diet-induced obesity-diabetes. Tigerinin-1R was resistant to in vitro degradation by plasma enzymes. [Biochimie] Abstract Uncoupling Protein-2 Attenuates Palmitoleate Protection against the Cytotoxic Production of Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species in INS-1E Insulinoma Cells Scientists show that palmitate-induced reactive oxygen species are mostly mitochondrial: oxidation of MitoSOX, a mitochondria-targeted superoxide probe, is increased by palmitate, whilst oxidation of the equivalent non-targeted probe is unaffected. [Redox Biol] Full Article PANCREATIC CANCER Gemcitabine Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines Acquire an Invasive Phenotype with Collateral Hypersensitivity to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors To identify potential molecular targets in gemcitabine refractory pancreatic cancer, researchers developed a series of gemcitabine resistant cell lines. Initial drug exposure selected for an early resistant phenotype that was independent of drug metabolic pathways. [Cancer Biol Ther] Abstract PBI-05204, a Supercritical CO2 Extract of Nerium oleander, Inhibits Growth of Human Pancreatic Cancer via Targeting the PI3K/mTOR Pathway Scientists report the antitumor efficacy of PBI-05204, a supercritical CO2 extract of N. oleander containing oleandrin, in a human pancreatic cancer Panc-1 orthotopic model. [Invest New Drugs] Full Article Pancreatic Cancer Cells Express CD44 Variant 9 and Multiple Drug Resistance Protein 1 during Mitosis Researchers demonstrate that pancreatic cancer cells with an epithelial phenotype upregulate cell surface expression of CD44 variant 9, an important cancer stem cell marker, during the mitotic phases of the cell cycle. [Exp Mol Pathol] Abstract Inhibition of 5-Lipoxygenase Triggers Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) was found to be overexpressed not only in pancreatic cancer cell lines but also in tissue samples of patients suffering from pancreatic adenocarcinoma. There was a close correlation between the tumor expression levels of 5-LOX mRNA and protein and the clinicopathological patient characteristics including lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. [Oncol Rep] Abstract Knockdown of GPR137 by RNAi Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth and Induces Apoptosis Researchers knocked down GPR137 via a lentivirus system in two human pancreatic cancer cell lines BXPC-3 and PANC-1. Knockdown of GPR137 strongly inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation. [Biotechnol Appl Biochem] Abstract |