Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 8.15 | Apr 24 2019

TOP STORY

Screening Therapeutic Agents Specific to Breast Cancer Stem Cells Using a Microfluidic Single-Cell Clone-Forming Inhibition Assay

A clone-forming inhibition assay was conducted by exposing the single-cell arrays to a set of anticancer agents. The CSC-targeting agents showed complete inhibition of single-cell clone formation while the nontargeting ones showed incomplete inhibition effects. [Small] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Cancer Stemness, Intratumoral Heterogeneity, and Immune Response across Cancers

Using gene-expression-based metrics, researchers evaluated the association of stemness with immune cell infiltration and genomic, transcriptomic, and clinical parameters across 21 solid cancers. They found pervasive negative associations between cancer stemness and anticancer immunity. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Development of a Cx46 Targeting Strategy for Cancer Stem Cells

To develop a Cx46 targeting strategy, scientists screened a clinically relevant small molecule library and identified clofazimine as an inhibitor of Cx46-specific cell-cell communication. Clofazimine attenuated proliferation, self-renewal, and tumor growth and synergized with temozolomide to induce apoptosis. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Integrin α9 Depletion Promotes β-Catenin Degradation to Suppress Triple Negative Breast Cancer Tumor Growth and Metastasis

The authors investigated the role of integrin α9 (ITGA9) in triple negative breast cancer. Experimentally, ITGA9 knock out significantly reduced triple negative breast cancer cell CSC-like property, tumor angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis by promoting β-catenin degradation. [Int J Cancer] Abstract

Resolvin D1 Prevents Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Reduces the Stemness Features of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inhibiting Paracrine of Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Derived COMP

Investigators revealed that resolvin D1 treatment could impede the cancer-associated fibroblast-induced cancer stem-like properties and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells under co-culture conditions. [J Exp Clin Cancer Res] Full Article

Orthotopic Patient-Derived Xenografts of Gastric Cancer to Decipher Drugs Effects on Cancer Stem Cells and Metastatic Dissemination

The anti-CSC properties of Buparlisib (BKM120) were evaluated on gastric adenocarcinoma cells’ phenotype and tumorigenic properties in vitro and in vivo on BKM120-treated mice. BKM120 treatment significantly inhibited CSC properties in vitro and reduced the number of distant metastases in mice. [Cancers] Full Article

ERα Is Required for Suppressing OCT4-Induced Proliferation of Breast Cancer Cells via DNMT1/ISL1/ERK Axis

OCT4 was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues, and the overexpression of OCT4 promoted MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo, respectively. [Cell Prolif] Full Article

Six2 Promotes Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Stemness via Transcriptionally and Epigenetically Regulating E-Cadherin

Six2 overexpression inhibited epithelial marker E-cadherin expression via stimulating its promoter methylation. And E-cadherin knockdown rescued six2 knockdown-induced decrease of non-small cell lung cancer cell stemness. [Cell Prolif] Full Article

Silencing LGR6 Attenuates Stemness and Chemoresistance via Inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Ovarian Cancer

Functional assays in vitro and animal experiment in vivo were carried out to explore the effect of leucine rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor (LGR6) on CSC characteristics and chemotherapeutic response in ovarian cancer cells. [Mol Ther Oncolytics] Abstract | Full Article

MicroRNA-1305 Inhibits the Stemness of Liver Cancer Stem Cells and Tumorigenesis by Repressing UBE2T-Dependent Akt Signaling Pathway

miR-1305 disrupted the activation of the Akt signaling pathway by targeting ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T), and ultimately repressed sphere formation, colony formation, and proliferation, as well as tumorigenicity of liver CSCs. [Mol Ther Oncolytics] Abstract | Full Article

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Metabolic and Epigenetic Reprogramming in the Arsenic-Induced Cancer Stem Cells

The authors address the importance of non-genetic factors, the metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming, during the induction of cancer stem cells in response to arsenic, a major environmental human carcinogen. [Semin Cancer Biol] Abstract

Circular RNAs in Cancer: Emerging Functions in Hallmarks, Stemness, Resistance and Roles as Potential Biomarkers

Investigators provide an overview of the characteristics, functions and functional mechanisms of circular RNAs (circRNAs). In particular, they summarize current knowledge regarding the functions of circRNAs in the hallmarks, stemness, resistance of cancer, as well as the possibility of circRNAs as biomarkers in cancer. [Mol Cancer] Full Article

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Mateon Enters into Merger Agreement with Oncotelic

Mateon Therapeutics, Inc. and Oncotelic Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement with respect to a merger, creating a publicly traded immuno-oncology company with a robust pipeline of first in class TGF-β immunotherapies for late stage cancers such as gliomas, pancreatic cancer and melanoma. [Mateon Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Trovagene Announces Data Demonstrating Significant Synergy of Onvansertib in Combination with Venetoclax in Cell Model of Venetoclax-Resistant AML

Trovagene, Inc. announced preclinical data that evaluated the effect of combining onvansertib with venetoclax in an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell model known to be resistant to venetoclax. [Trovagene, Inc.] Press Release

ExCellThera’s Lead Technology, ECT-001, Receives FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation

ExCellThera Inc. announced that the FDA has granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation to its lead technology, ECT-001, in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. [ExCellThera, Inc.] Press Release

Autolus Therapeutics Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for AUTO3 for Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Autolus Therapeutics plc announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to autologous enriched T-cells genetically modified with a retroviral vector to express two chimeric antigen receptors targeting CD19 and CD22 (AUTO3) for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [Autolus Therapeutics plc] Press Release

MediciNova Receives Notice of Allowance for New Patent Covering MN-166 (Ibudilast) for the Treatment of Glioblastoma

MediciNova, Inc. announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a pending patent application which covers ibudilast for the treatment of glioblastoma. [MediciNova, Inc.] Press Release

After Firings, MD Anderson Officials Try to Calm Fears of Racial Profiling

Administrators at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, tried to reassure alarmed employees that its recent dismissals of faculty members alleged to have broken federal funding rules were not connected to race or ethnicity. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

How US-China Political Tensions Are Affecting Science

In the latest twist, several US universities are expected this month to announce the actions they have taken against foreign scientists caught breaking rules concerning National Institutes of Health funding, according to comments made by agency director Francis Collins to the Senate Appropriations Committee. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposia: Single Cell Biology: Pushing New Frontiers in the Life Sciences
May 4-8, 2020
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NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Bone Marrow Niche Contribution to Leukemia (Karolinska Institutet)

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Postdoctoral Fellowship – Cancer and Glioma Stem Cell Biology (Cornell University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Glioblastoma Multiforme Research (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Hematopoietic Stem Cells (Washington University in St. Louis)

Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor – Breast Cancer (University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Associate – 3D Epigenetic Landscape at Single Cell Level (Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute)

Postdoctoral & Research Associate Positions – Cancer, Cancer Stem Cells, Normal Development, and Aging (Johns Hopkins University)

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