Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 4.17 | May 6 2015

Inhibition of Mouse Breast Tumor Initiating Cells by Calcitriol and Dietary Vitamin D
Scientists examined the effect of dietary vitamin D and calcitriol on mouse breast tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Calcitriol inhibited TIC tumor spheroid formation in a dose-dependent manner in primary cultures and inhibited TIC self-renewal in secondary passages [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

Transglutaminase Is Required for Epidermal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Stem Cell Survival
Transglutaminase type II (TGM2/TG2) showed promise as a target for anti-cancer stem cell therapy in human squamous cell carcinoma. TG2 was determined to be highly elevated in epidermal cancer stem cells (ECS cells) and TG2 knockdown or suppression of TG2 function with inhibitors reduced ECS cell survival, spheroid formation, matrigel invasion and migration. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

miR-21 and miR-145 Cooperation in Regulation of Colon Cancer Stem Cells
Researchers investigated the role that microRNAs (miRs), specifically miR-21 and miR-145 play in regulating colon cancer stem cells (CSCs). They found the expression of miR-21 to be greatly increased and miR-145 decreased in chemo-resistant colon cancer cells that are highly enriched in CSC, indicating a role for these miRNAs in regulating CSCs. [Mol Cancer] Full Article

Fibroblast-Derived Exosomes Contribute to Chemoresistance through Priming Cancer Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer
Scientists investigated whether fibroblasts might increase cancer stem cells (CSCs) thus mediating chemotherapy resistance. Fibroblast-derived conditioned medium promoted percentage, clonogenicity and tumor growth of CSCs upon treatment with 5-fluorouracil or oxaliplatin. [Curr Mol Med] Abstract

Sasa quelpaertensis Leaf Extract Inhibits Colon Cancer by Regulating Cancer Cell Stemness In Vitro and In Vivo
The potential for Sasa quelpaertensis leaf extract and its two bioactive compounds, tricin and p-coumaric acid, to exert anti-cancer stem cell effects by suppressing cancer stemness characteristics were evaluated in colon cancer cells. [Int J Mol Sci] Abstract | Download Full Article

Kinome-Wide shRNA Screen Identifies the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase AXL as a Key Regulator for Mesenchymal Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells
To identify mechanisms to target the more aggressive mesenchymal (MES) glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs), investigators combined transcriptomic expression analysis and kinome-wide short hairpin RNA screening of MES and proneural GSCs. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

The Androgen Receptor Plays a Suppressive Role in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Prostate Cancer Stem Progenitor Cells
Scientists investigated the roles of androgen receptor in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human prostate cancer stem progenitor (S/P) cells isolated from LNCaP cell line. The data showed that S/P cells from LNCaP had high EMT markers expression, more tumorigenesis and strong migration ability. [BMC Biochemistry] Abstract | Full Article

Therapeutic Potential of Cancer Stem Cells
The authors explore the roles of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer’s relapse and progression and discuss the biomarkers of CSCs to predict clinical outcome and their diagnostic potential. The different approaches of CSC therapies are also reviewed, including cytotoxic, radiation, differentiation and targeting signaling pathways. [Med Oncol] Abstract

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UB Spinoff Gets $2 Million for Research on Cancer Therapy
For-Robin, a University at Buffalo (UB) spinoff company, has received a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study and develop a promising potential treatment for breast and other types of cancer. [University of Buffalo] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Positions – Epigenetics, Stem Cells and Cancer (University of Copenhagen)

Postdoctoral Positions – Cancer Stem Cell Biology (Weill Cornell College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer Research (INSERM)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Colon Cancer (Baylor Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cell Death of Normal Tissue Stem Cells & Cancer Stem Cells (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer Biology (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Breast Cancer & Stem Cell Biology (University of Cincinnati)

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