Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 2.30 | Jul 31 2013

Comparative Expression Analysis Reveals Lineage Relationships between Human and Murine Gliomas and a Dominance of Glial Signatures during Tumor Propagation In Vitro
Using a mouse model system that generates three distinct types of intrinsic brain tumors, the authors correlated RNA and protein expression levels with human brain tumors. A combination of genetic mutations and cellular environment during tumor propagation defined the incidence and phenotype of intrinsic murine tumors. Importantly, in vitro passage of cancer stem cells uniformly promoted a glial expression profile in culture and in brain tumors. [Cancer Res] Abstract

Differential Effect of Long-Term Drug Selection with Doxorubicin and Vorinostat on Neuroblastoma Cells with Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics
Researchers investigated whether long-term doxorubicin treatment could expand the neuroblastoma cells with cancer stem cell characteristics and histone acetylation could affect stemness gene expression during the development of drug resistance. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Dietary Chemopreventative Benzyl Isothiocyanate Inhibits Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
The authors showed previously that a nontoxic small-molecule constituent of edible cruciferous vegetables (benzyl isothiocyanate; BITC) inhibits mammary cancer development in mouse mammary tumor virus-neu transgenic mice by causing epithelial tumor cell apoptosis. The present study showed the efficacy of BITC against breast cancer stem cells in vitro and in vivo. [Cancer Prev Res] Abstract

N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) and N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) Promote Growth and Inhibit Differentiation of Glioma Stem-Like Cells
Scientists determined the effects of NAA and NAAG on primary tumor-derived glioma stem-like cells, from oligodendroglioma as well as proneural and mesenchymal glioblastoma, relative to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article

Autophagy Contributes to the Survival of CD133+ Liver Cancer Stem Cells in the Hypoxic and Nutrient-Deprived Tumor Microenvironment
How liver cancer stem cells adapt to oxygen- and nutrient-deprived conditions is unclear. The authors used immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry analysis to show that CD133+ cells were significantly enriched after hypoxia and nutrient starvation in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7. [Cancer Lett] Abstract

RECK Inhibits Stemness Gene Expression and Tumorigenicity of Gastric Cancer Cells by Suppressing ADAM-Mediated Notch1 Activation
Investigators demonstrated that Reversion-inducing Cysteine-rich Protein with Kazal Motifs (RECK) is down-regulated in gastric cancer cells and is further reduced in CD133-positive cancer stem-like cells. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Omega-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid Decreases CD133 Colon Cancer Stem-Like Cell Marker Expression while Increasing Sensitivity to Chemotherapy
Scientists demonstrated that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), was actively incorporated into the membrane lipids of COLO 320 DM cells. 25 uM EPA decreased the cell number of the overall population of cancer cells, but not of the CD133 (+) cancer stem-like cells. [PLoS One]
Full Article

Genetic and Epigenetic Analysis of Putative Breast Cancer Stem Cell Models
Researchers evaluated the suitability of current approaches for breast cancer stem cell analyses to evaluate heterogeneity of breast cancer cells through their extensive genetic and epigenetic characterization. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

Oncogenic Transformation of Mammary Epithelial Cells by Transforming Growth Factor Beta Independent of Mammary Stem Cell Regulation
While transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) normally has a tumor suppressor role, prolonged exposure to TGFbeta can induce an oncogenic epithelial to mesenchymal transition program in permissive cells and initiate the generation of cancer stem cells. The authors aimed to mimic the transient exposure to TGFbeta during involution to determine the persistent effects on premalignant mammary epithelium. [Cancer Cell Int]
Abstract | Full Article

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

Cancer Immunotherapy Platform Targets Broad Range of Metastatic Cancers
California Stem Cell, Inc. has announced the completion of an internal study demonstrating that the company’s proprietary immunotherapy manufacturing process can be applied to multiple cancer types. Originally developed for late stage metastatic melanoma, the platform tissue culture technology has also been shown to work with tumor tissues from hepatocellular carcinoma, ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, and other solid tumor cancers. [California Stem Cell, Inc.] Press Release

New wallchart from our sponsor: Mesenchymal Stem Cells (a Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology collaboration). Request your free copy.

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)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Oncogene-Specific Hepatic Cancer Stem Cells (Cancer Science Institute of Singapore)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Research (University of British Columbia)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Signal Transduction, Cancer Metabolism and Cancer Stem Cells (City of Hope – Beckman Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Molecular Bases of Cancer Initiation and Progression (New York University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Stem Cell Biology (McGill University)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular and Cellular Oncology (VIB Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, University of Ghent)

Director of Cell Processing Facility (S L Collins Associates, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Biology and Stem Cell (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach more than 50,000 potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.