Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 8.26 | Jul 10 2019

TOP STORY

The Delivery of a Wnt Pathway Inhibitor towards Cancer Stem Cells Requires Stable Liposome Encapsulation and Delayed Drug Release in Tumor Tissues

Scientists developed a strategy to stably encapsulate CGX1321 inside liposomes with minimal drug releases in circulation. The liposomal drugs were shown to interfere with the aberrant Wnt signaling specifically in tumor tissues, resulting in focused effects on LGR5⁺ CSCs, while sparing other cells from significant cytotoxicity. [Mol Ther] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

MYC Regulates the HIF-2α Stemness Pathway via Nanog and Sox2 to Maintain Self-Renewal in Cancer Stem Cells versus Non-Stem Cancer Cells

Researchers report that in a transgenic mouse model of MYC-induced T cell leukemia, MYC maintained self-renewal in Sca1⁺ CSCs versus Sca-1^– non-CSCs. MYC preferentially bound to the promoter and activated HIF-2α in Sca-1⁺ cells only. [Cancer Res] Abstract

RUNX3 Suppresses Metastasis and Stemness by Inhibiting Hedgehog Signaling in Colorectal Cancer

Investigators found that the tumor suppressor RUNX3 modulated tumorigenesis in response to cancer cells induced by inhibiting oncogene GLI1 ubiquitination. Moreover, they demonstrated that RUNX3 and GLI1 expression were inversely correlated in colorectal cancer cells and tissues. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract

Development of Functional Dendrisomes Based on a Single Molecule of Polyesterbenzylether Dendrimer and Their Application in Cancer Stem Cell Therapy

The authors report a type of functional dendrisomes constructed by the synthesized amphiphilic dendrimers, which enhanced cellular uptake by breast CSCs, differentiated breast CSCs by carrying all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and increase the anticancer efficacy by carrying ATRA and docetaxel in vitro and in breast cancer-bearing mice. [NPG Asia Mater] Full Article

Napabucasin, a Novel STAT3 Inhibitor Suppresses Proliferation, Invasion and Stemness of Glioblastoma Cells

STAT3 expression and its correlation with the glioma grade and patient survival were analyzed using CGGA and TCGA glioma databases. The influence of Napabucasin on proliferation, stemness, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and invasion of human glioblastoma cell lines U87MG and LN229 was tested by CCK8, EdU incorporation, colony formation, Transwell invasion, and three-dimensional spheroid assays as well as flow cytometry, qPCR, and western blot analysis. [J Exp Clin Cancer Res] Full Article

Metformin Mediates Induction of MiR-708 to Inhibit Self-Renewal and Chemoresistance of Breast Cancer Stem Cells through Targeting CD47

Scientists evaluated the role of miR-708 and metformin in breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), and found that the expression of miR-708 was significantly down-regulated in BCSCs and tumor tissues, and correlated with chemotherapy response and prognosis. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

MiR-26b-5p Helps in EpCAM⁺ Cancer Stem Cells Maintenance via HSC71/HSPA8 and Augments Malignant Features in HCC

11 proteins were overexpressed in Ep^CAM+CSCs (Ep⁺CSC)compared to EpCAM^–hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Ep⁺normal stem cells. However, RNA-sequencing confirmed the Ep⁺CSC specific up-regulation of only HSPA8, HNRNPC, MPST and GAPDH mRNAs among these. [Liver Int] Abstract

BRCA1 Regulates the Cancer Stem Cell Fate of Breast Cancer Cells in the Context of Hypoxia and Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

Researchers examined the role of the tumor suppressor BRCA1 and hypoxia in the regulation of cancer cell stemness using genetically matched breast cancer cell lines. They found that BRCA1, a multifunctional protein involved in DNA repair and epigenetic regulation, played a critical role in the regulation of CSC-like characteristics. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Exploring Notch Pathway to Elucidate Phenotypic Plasticity and Intra-Tumor Heterogeneity in Gliomas

The developmental dynamics of adult neural/glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) were successfully simulated, and molecular activities regulating the phenotypic plasticity and self-renewal processes in normal and tumor cells were identified. A novel scoring parameter ‘Activity Ratio’ score was introduced to find out driver molecules responsible for the phenotypic plasticity and development of different grades of tumor. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Infliximab Therapy Together with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition Targets Leukemic Stem Cells in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Scientists performed GSEA-pathway analysis using their microarray data of murine leukemic stem cells from the SCLtTA/Bcr-Abl chronic myeloid leukemia transgenic mouse model. Bcr-Abl positive cell lines were generated by retroviral transduction. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Neural Cell News & Hematopoiesis News.

Glycosylation in the Era of Cancer-Targeted Therapy: Where Are We Heading?

The authors provide insights on the impact of glycosylation in cancer biology and its influence in the current approaches of targeted cancer therapies in the clinical setting. The roles of glycosylation in cancer signaling, tumor progression, and metastasis are reviewed, as well as glycans and glycan-binding proteins in tumor immunomodulation. [Cancer Cell] Abstract

Role and Molecular Mechanism of Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer Initiation

Colorectal CSCs are regarded as the key contributors to tumor recurrence and metastasis due to their resistance to chemotherapy drugs and their extremely high tumorigenicity. Once CSCs overcome chemotherapy treatment, they continue to survive and reinitiate proliferation to form tumors, leading to recurrence. [J Drug Target] Abstract

Bone Microenvironment Signaling of Cancer Stem Cells as a Therapeutic Target in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Investigators summarize the main signaling pathways that are implicated in current pre-clinical and clinical studies of recurrent metastatic prostate cancer within the bone microenvironment targeting CSCs and discuss the trajectory of therapeutics moving forward. [Cell Biol Toxicol] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cancer stem cell research field.

Telix Pharmaceuticals and Grupo RPH Sign LATAM Manufacturing and Distribution Agreement

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited announced the appointment of Grupo RPH as contract manufacturer and product distribution partner for Brazil. [Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

Cellectar Receives FDA Fast Track Designation for CLR 131 in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. announced the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for CLR 131 in relapsed or refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. CLR 131 is the company’s small-molecule, cancer-targeting radiotherapeutic Phospholipid Drug Conjugate™ designed to deliver cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells. [Cellectar Biosciences, Inc.] Press Release

As Visa Difficulties Persist, Scientists Push for Change

Individual researchers and science societies are finding solutions so colleagues around the globe can attend conferences, from remote presentations to relocating conferences. [The Scientist] Editorial

Scandal-Weary Swedish Government Takes Over Research-Fraud Investigations

Bruised by a string of high-profile scientific-misconduct cases, Sweden has laid the legislative groundwork for a government agency that will handle all allegations of serious research misconduct. The country follows in the footsteps of neighboring Denmark, which created the world’s first such agency in 2017. [Nature News] Editorial

Health Canada Orders Halt to Unproven Stem Cell-Based Injection Treatments

Health Canada has launched a crackdown on clinics offering unproven, potentially unsafe treatments that inject a patient with their own cells, ordering three dozen of them to stop offering the services immediately. The clinics, located in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, advertised a variety of stem cell and platelet-rich plasma treatments for numerous conditions, including heart problems, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, hair loss and skin rejuvenation. [The Globe and Mail] Editorial

NEW 5^th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Congress
October 24-25, 2019
London, United Kingdom

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

NEW Professor – Cancer and Stem Cell Immunology (University of Sherbrooke)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Reprogramming Glioblastoma (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Research Position – B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Research (University of California San Francisco)

Research Scientist – Leukemia Stem/Progenitor Cell Research (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Cancer Organoids (Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

Research Lab Specialist – Tumor Microenvironment & Cell Behavior (University of Southern California)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Jak-Stat Signaling in Prostate & Pancreatic Cancer (Medical College of Wisconsin)

Tier I Canada Research Chair – Precision & Molecular Oncology (University of Calgary)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (Pennsylvania State University)

Faculty Positions – Cancer Research (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer Biology (Washington University School of Medicine)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Cancer Stem Cell News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.