Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 3.25 | Jul 2 2014

Crosstalk between Glioma Initiating Cells and Endothelial Cells Drives Tumor Progression
Researchers report that, in both glioma initiating cells and endothelial cells, platelet derived growth factor-driven activation of nitric oxide (NO) synthase increases NO-dependent inhibitor of differentiation 4 expression, which in turn promotes JAGGED1-NOTCH activity through suppression of miR-129 that specifically represses JAGGED1 suppression. [Cancer Res] Abstract

Targeting the bHLH Transcriptional Networks by Mutated E Proteins in Experimental Glioma
Scientists overexpressed a wildtype or a dominant negative form of E47 that lacks its nuclear localization signal thus preventing nuclear translocation of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins in long-term glioma cell lines and in glioma-initiating cell lines and analyzed the effects in vitro and in vivo. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Exosomes from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Contain a MicroRNA that Promotes Dormancy in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Coculturing BM2 cells with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) isolated from human donors revealed that BM-MSCs suppressed the proliferation of BM2 cells, decreased the abundance of stem cell-like surface markers, inhibited their invasion through Matrigel Transwells, and decreased their sensitivity to docetaxel, a common chemotherapy agent. [Sci Signal] Abstract

Hedgehog Signaling Sensitizes Glioma Stem Cells to Endogenous Nano-Irradiation
Scientists examined the potential of the Sonic hedgehog ligand for sensitizing of glioma stem cells to endogenous nano-irradiation. They demonstrate that the Sonic hedgehog ligand preferentially and efficiently activated glioma stem cells to enter the radiation sensitive G2/M phase. [Oncotarget] Abstract

Synthetic, Non-Saccharide, Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics Selectively Target Colon Cancer Stem Cells
Scientists developed a tandem, dual screen strategy involving assessing inhibition of monolayer versus spheroid growth and assessing inhibition of primary versus secondary spheroid growth to identify G2.2, a unique sulfated nonsaccharide GAG mimetic from a focused library of 53 molecules, as a selective inhibitor of colon cancer stem-like cells. [ACS Chem Biol] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Primary Glioblastoma Cultures: Can Profiling of Stem Cell Markers Predict Radiotherapy Sensitivity?
Established stem cell markers and stem cell attributed characteristics such as self-renewal capacity and tumorigenicity have been profiled in primary glioblastoma cultures to predict radiosensitivity. [J Neurochem] Abstract

CTR2 Identifies a Population of Cancer Cells with Stem-Like Features in Patients with Clear Cell-Renal Cell Carcinoma
Scientists aimed to identify and characterize in tissue samples of clear cell-renal cell carcinoma a population of CD133⁺/CD24⁺ cancer cells and to study the differences with their non-neoplastic counterpart, tubular adult renal progenitor cells. [J Urol] Abstract

Inhibition of Cdk2 Kinase Activity Selectively Targets the CD44⁺/CD24^–/Low Stem-Like Subpopulation and Restores Chemosensitivity of SUM149PT Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
Scientists employed the luminal ER⁺ MCF-7 and the inflammatory breast cancer SUM149PT breast cancer cell lines to establish the extent to which high grade of chromosomal instability and chemoresistance were mechanistically linked to the enrichment of CD44⁺/CD24^–/Low CSCs. [Int J Oncol] Abstract

Tanshinone IIA Inhibits the Growth, Attenuates the Stemness and Induces the Apoptosis of Human Glioma Stem Cells
Researchers aimed to determine the inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA on human glioma stem cells in vitro and in vivo and explored the underlying mechanisms. [Oncol Rep] Abstract

Wilms’ Tumor Blastemal Stem Cells Dedifferentiate to Propagate the Tumor Bulk
By generating pure blastema Wilms’ tumor (WT) xenografts, composed solely of cells expressing the renal developmental markers SIX2 and neural cell adhesion molecule 1, scientists showed that sorted aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive WT cancer stem cells do not correspond to earliest renal stem cells. Rather, gene expression and proteomic comparative analyses disclose a cell type skewed more toward epithelial differentiation than the bulk of the blastema. [Stem Cell Rep] Full Article | Press Release

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Janssen Submits EU Marketing Application for VELCADE® (Bortezomib) in Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Janssen-Cilag International NV announced its submission of a type II variation to the European Medicines Agency to expand the label for VELCADE^® (bortezomib) to include its use, in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone, for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. [Janssen-Cilag International NV] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Research Associate – Cancer Stem Cell Biology (University of California, San Diego)

NEW PhD Position – Molecular Biology (International PhD Programme)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells and Cancer (Brigham & Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School)

Research Assistant/Research Associate – Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (University of North Texas Health Science Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells and Cancer (Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer and Stem Cell Biology (University of Pennsylvania)

PhD Scholarship – Inorganic Nanoparticles for Cancer Stem Cell Targeting and Detection (The Italian Institute of Technology)

Postdoctoral Fellowships – Cancer Research (German Cancer Research Center [DKFZ])

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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