Different Thresholds of ​ZEB1 Are Required for Ras-Mediated Tumor Initiation and Metastasis Scientists show that Ras induction of ​ZEB1 is required for tumor initiation in a lung cancer model, and they link this function to repression ​Pten, whose loss is critical for emergence of cancer-initiating cells. [Nat Commun] Abstract Hypoxia-Inducible Factors Are Required for Chemotherapy Resistance of Breast Cancer Stem Cells Chemotherapy-induced hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activity enriched a breast cancer stem cell population through interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 signaling and increased expression of multidrug resistance 1. Coadministration of HIF inhibitors overcame the resistance of breast cancer stem cells to paclitaxel or gemcitabine, both in vitro and in vivo, leading to tumor eradication. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract Activin Upregulation by NF-κB Is Required to Maintain Mesenchymal Features of Cancer Stem-Like Cells in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using gene expression profiling of all annotated and predicted secreted gene products, scientists found that NF-κB activity is required to upregulate INHBA/Activin, a morphogen in the TGF beta superfamily. INHBA is capable of inducing and maintaining mesenchymal phenotypes, including the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition master-switch regulators and self-renewal factors that sustain cancer-initiating cells phenotypes and promote lung metastasis. [Cancer Res] Abstract | Full Article PI3K/mTOR Dual Inhibitor VS-5584 Preferentially Targets Cancer Stem Cells Researchers report that VS-5584 is up to 30-fold more potent in inhibiting the proliferation and survival of cancer stem cells (CSC) compared to non-CSC in solid tumor cell populations. VS-5584 preferentially diminished CSC levels in multiple mouse xenograft models of human cancer, as evidenced by marked reduction of tumor-initiating capacity in limiting dilution assays. [Cancer Res] Abstract | Full Article An In Silico Screen Links Gene Expression Signatures to Drug Response in Glioblastoma Stem Cells Scientists tested whether predictive models of drug response could be developed from gene expression signatures of established cell lines and applied to predict drug response in glioblastoma stem cells. Predictions for active compounds were confirmed both for 185 compounds in seven established glioma cell lines and 21 compounds in three glioblastoma stem cells. [Pharmacogenomics J] Abstract Ionizing Radiations Sustain Glioblastoma Cell Dedifferentiation to a Stem-Like Phenotype through Survivin: Possible Involvement in Radioresistance Investigators demonstrate that subtoxic ionizing radiations exposure of differentiated glioblastomas cells isolated from patient resections potentiated the long-term reacquisition of stem-associated properties such as the ability to generate primary and secondary neurospheres, the expression of stemness markers and an increased tumorigenicity. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Modulation of A1 and A2B Adenosine Receptor Activity: A New Strategy to Sensitize Glioblastoma Stem Cells to Chemotherapy Researchers investigated the role of adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes in the survival and differentiation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme cells. Stimulation of A1AR and A2BAR had a prominent anti-proliferative/pro-apoptotic effect on the CSCs. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article BMP-2 Inhibits Tumor-Initiating Ability in Human Renal Cancer Stem Cells and Induces Bone Formation Investigators determined whether BMP-2 can similarly induce bone formation and inhibit the tumorigenicity of renal cancer stem cells identified based on aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in renal cell carcinoma cell lines and primary tumors. [J Cancer Res Clin Oncol] Abstract Correlation between Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Tumor Stem Cell Markers CD44/CD24 and Their Relationship with Prognosis in Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Scientists studied the correlation between epidermal growth factor receptor and the tumor stem cell markers CD44/CD24 in breast invasive ductal carcinoma and their relationship with prognosis. [Med Oncol] Abstract | Full Article Salinomycin Inhibits the Tumor Growth of Glioma Stem Cells by Selectively Suppressing Glioma-Initiating Cells The potential role of salinomycin, a polyether antibiotic, on the suppression of glioma cell growth was investigated. It was demonstrated that salinomycin significantly reduced the cell viability of GL261-NS and GL261-AC cells in a dose-dependent manner, with a more substantial inhibition of GL261-NS proliferation. [Mol Med Rep] Abstract | Download Full Article A Novel Long Non-Coding RNA, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α Promoter Upstream Transcript, Functions as an Inhibitor of Osteosarcoma Stem Cells In Vitro Researchers investigated the regulating role of a novel long non-coding RNAs, hypoxia-inducible factor-2α promoter upstream transcript (HIF2PUT), in osteosarcoma stem cells. In functional experiments, HIF2PUT expression was knocked down by small interfering RNAs, or overexpressed by transfection with pcDNA-HIF2PUT, in order to evaluate the effects of HIF2PUT on cell proliferation, migration, expression rate of osteosarcoma stem cell marker CD133, and stem sphere-forming ability in MG63 cells. [Mol Med Rep] Abstract | Download Full Article  |