Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 4.39 | Oct 14 2015

Genome-Wide Screen Identified let-7c/miR-99a/miR-125b Regulating Tumor Progression and Stem-Like Properties in Cholangiocarcinoma
Researchers found that enforced expression of let-7c, microRNA (miR)-99a or miR-125b could reduce the activity of signal transducer and activator 3 and further suppress cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) tumorigenicity in vivo and inhibit the migration and invasion of CCA cells in vitro. [Oncogene] Full Article

ER-Stress-Induced Differentiation Sensitizes Colon Cancer Stem Cells to Chemotherapy
Scientists report that ER-stress-induced activation of the unfolded protein response forces colon-cancer stem cells to differentiate, resulting in their enhanced sensitivity to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Functional and Molecular Characterization of Cancer Stem-Like Cells in Bladder Cancer: A Potential Signature for Muscle-Invasive Tumors
The authors isolated and characterized bladder cancer stem cells making use of different functional and molecular approaches. The data obtained provide strong evidence that muscle-invasive bladder cancer is enriched with a heterogeneous stem-like population characterized by enhanced chemoresistance and tumor initiating properties, able to recapitulate the heterogeneity of the original tumor. [Oncotarget] Full Article

PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Sonic Hedgehog Pathways Cooperate Together to Inhibit Human Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics and Tumor Growth
Scientists examined the efficacy of combining NVP-LDE-225 and NVP-BEZ-235 on pancreatic cancer stem cells characteristics, microRNA regulatory network, and tumor growth. [Oncotarget] Full Article

Obesity Promotes Colonic Stem Cell Expansion during Cancer Initiation
Researchers assessed the effects of high fat feeding on colonic stem cell maintenance during cancer initiation and the responsiveness of stem cells to adipokine signaling pathways. [Cancer Lett] Abstract

Clinical Influence of Cancer Stem Cells on Residual Disease after Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer
The authors evaluated the clinical influence of cancer stem cells on residual disease after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with rectal cancer. The surgical specimens of 145 patients with residual rectal cancer after preoperative CRT were assessed. [Tumor Biol] Abstract

Ideal Sphere-Forming Culture Conditions to Maintain Pluripotency in a Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines
Investigators identified and validated optimal culture conditions for sphere formation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Huh7 and HepG2 cells were plated in three different media types and were allowed to form spheres. [Cancer Cell Int] Full Article

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Cancer Research UK Launches £100 Million Grand Challenges to Tackle the Most Important Questions in Cancer
Cancer Research UK has launched Grand Challenges – the biggest and most ambitious cancer grants in the world – which aim to overcome the greatest barriers standing in the way of beating cancer. The £100 million investment will revolutionize how we diagnose, prevent and treat cancer by uniting teams of the best scientists around the world to come up with answers to crucial questions about how to save more lives from cancer. [Cancer Research UK] Press Release

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