Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 3.40 | Oct 15 2014

RRAD Promotes EGFR-Mediated STAT3 Activation and Induces Temozolomide Resistance of Malignant Glioblastoma
Researchers show that GTP-binding protein RRAD (RAS associated with diabetes, RAD) physically associates with EGFR, and EEA1, enhancing the stability and endosome-associated nuclear translocation of EGFR. Functionally, RRAD contributes to the activation of STAT3 and expression of the stem cell factors, OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2, thereby enhancing self-renewing ability, tumor sphere formation, EMT, and in vivo tumorigenesis. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

Rapid Adherence to Collagen IV Enriches for Tumor Initiating Cells in Oral Cancer
Researchers investigated possibilities to isolate a population of cancer cells with tumor initiating properties based on their adherence properties, rather than expression of defined markers or clonogenicity. [Eur J Cancer] Abstract

Mast Cell Exosomes Promote Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Proliferation Role of KIT-Stem Cell Factor Signaling
Scientists demonstrate that exosomes from mast cells can be taken up by lung cancer cells. Furthermore, HMC exosomes contain and transfer KIT protein, but not the c-KIT mRNA to A549 cells and subsequently activate KIT-SCF signal transduction, which increase cyclin D1 expression and accelerate the proliferation in the human lung adenocarcinoma cells. [Cell Commun Signal] Abstract | Full Article

Inhibition of the Cancer Stem Cell-Like Properties by Arsenic Trioxide, Involved in the Attenuation of Endogenous Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signal
Researchers found that arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) attenuated the cancer stem cell-like properties in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In HCC cells and mice xenograft models, As₂O₃ improved the expression of miR-491 by DNA-demethylation. [Toxicol Sci] Abstract

Double-Negative Feedback Loop between ZEB2 and miR-145 Regulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Stem Cell Properties in Prostate Cancer Cells
Scientists show that the downregulation of zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) not only represses invasion, migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and the stemness of prostate cancer cells, but also suppresses the capability of PC-3 cells to invade bone in vivo. [Cell Tissue Res] Abstract

Anti-Proliferative but Not Anti-Angiogenic Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Enrich for Cancer Stem Cells in Soft Tissue Sarcoma
After functionally validating the cancer stem cell phenotype of ALDH^bright sarcoma cells, scientists observed that sorafenib and regorafenib were cytotoxic to sarcoma cell lines, with a corresponding 1.4-2.8 fold increase in ALDH^bright cells from baseline. [BMC Cancer] Abstract | Full Article

Single-Cell Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Reveals that Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells Have Significantly Lower Content of Palmitoleic Acid Compared to Their Counterpart Non-Stem Cancer Cells
To characterize cell populations which are rare and sparsely localized in tissues, scientists conducted time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses of individual cells sorted by fluorescence activated cell sorting and applied the method to analyze breast cancer stem cells. [Biochimie] Abstract

mir-152 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Colony Formation of CD133⁺ Liver Cancer Stem Cells by Targeting KIT
Researchers investigates the role of mir-152 in cell proliferation and colony formation of liver cancer stem cells. They show that exogenous overexpression of mir-152 suppresses cell proliferation and colony formation in CD133⁺ hep3B cells. [Tumor Biol] Abstract

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Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pharmacyclics and Janssen Announce Clinical Collaboration to Evaluate OPDIVO^® (Nivolumab) and IMBRUVICA^® (Ibrutinib) in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pharmacyclics, Inc., and Janssen Research & Development, LLC announced they have entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s investigational PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor OPDIVO^® in combination with IMBRUVICA^®, an oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor co-developed and co-marketed by Pharmacyclics and Janssen. [Bristol-Myers Squibb Company] Press Release

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Postdoctoral Fellow – Gene Regulation in Breast Cancer/Stem Cell Biology (UC College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Leukemic Stem Cells (BC Cancer Agency)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Pennsylvania)

Senior Research Scientist – DNA Damage Response and Genome Instability (International Clinical Research Center)

Faculty Positions – Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (Baylor College of Medicine)

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

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

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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