Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 6.42 | Oct 25 2017

TOP STORY

Overcoming Mutational Complexity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Inhibition of Critical Pathways

Through NOD.Cg-Prkdc^scidIl2rg^tmlWjl/Sz xenotransplantation, researchers functionally identified preleukemic and leukemic stem cell populations present in FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication–positive acute myeloid leukemia patient samples. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

BCL-X_L Directly Modulates RAS Signaling to Favor Cancer Cell Stemness

Scientists showed that BCL-X_L expression is selectively advantageous to cancer cell populations even in the absence of pro-apoptotic pressure. In transformed human mammary epithelial cells BCL-X_L favored full activation of signaling downstream of constitutively active RAS with which it interacts in a BH4-dependent manner. [Nat Commun] Full Article

MiR-31 Promotes Mammary Stem Cell Expansion and Breast Tumorigenesis by Suppressing Wnt Signaling Antagonists

The authors demonstrated that miR-31 promotes mammary epithelial proliferation and mammary stem cell expansion at the expense of differentiation in vivo. Loss of miR-31 compromised mammary tumor growth, reduced the number of cancer stem cells, as well as decreased tumor-initiating ability and metastasis to the lung, supporting its pro-oncogenic function. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Fibroblast Growth Factor 13 Regulates Glioma Cell Invasion and Is Important for Bevacizumab-Induced Glioma Invasion

Microarray analyses were used to identify invasion-related genes in J3T-2 cells, and the expressed genes and their intracellular and intratumoral distribution patterns were evaluated in J3T-2 cell lines, human glioma cell lines, human glioblastoma stem cells and human glioblastoma specimens. [Oncogene] Abstract

Panaxynol, a Natural Hsp90 Inhibitor, Effectively Targets Both Lung Cancer Stem and Non-Stem Cells

The authors demonstrated the capacities of the non-saponin fraction of P. ginseng and its active principle panaxynol to inhibit Hsp90 function and viability of both non-CSC and CSC populations of non-small-cell lung carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. [Cancer Lett] Abstract

Amphiphilic-Modulation of Glycosylated Antitumor Ether Lipids Results in a Potent Triamino Scaffold against Epithelial Cancer Cell Lines and BT474 Cancer Stem Cells

Researchers showed that by carefully modulating the amphiphilic nature of a monoamine-based glycosylated antitumor ether lipid, they can generate a potent triamino scaffold that is active against a panel of hard-to-kill epithelial cancer cell lines and BT474 CSCs. [J Med Chem] Full Article

CD10⁻/ALDH⁻ Cells Are the Sole Cisplatin-Resistant Component of a Novel Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell Hierarchy

Investigators elucidated the relationship between CSC hierarchies and chemoresistance in an ovarian cancer model. Using a single cell-based approach to CSC discovery and validation, they report a novel, four-component CSC hierarchy based around the markers cluster of differentiation 10 and aldehyde dehydrogenase. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Unraveling the Roles of CD44/CD24 and ALDH1 as Cancer Stem Cell Markers in Tumorigenesis and Metastasis

Scientists investigated the expression of CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 in different subtypes of breast cancer cells, and explored their relationship with cancer progression. They defined a parameter CD44/CD24 ratio to present the expression level of CD44 and CD24 and found that high CD44/CD24 ratio and ALDH1⁺ are both indicators for cancer malignancy, but play different functions during tumor progression. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cell Lines Express Functional Acid Sensing Ion Channels ASIC1a and ASIC3

The authors studied and functionally characterized acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) in two primary glioblastoma stem cell lines as cell culture models. They detected transcripts of the ACCN2 and ACCN3 genes, coding for ASIC1 and ASIC3, respectively, but not transcripts of ACCN1. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Melanoma Topology Reveals a Stem-Like Phenotype That Promotes Angiogenesis

Controlling the geometry at the interface of a population of melanoma cells reveals a role for perimeter topology in promoting a stem-like state with enhanced tumorigenicity. Investigators showed that this putative melanoma-initiating cell (MIC) demonstrates significant enhancement in the secretion of proangiogenic molecules. This finding suggests the possibility of an “invasive niche” at the perimeter of a growing tumor that promotes a MIC state with angiogenic activity. [Sci Adv] Abstract

Challenges and Recent Advances in Medulloblastoma Therapy

MiRNA and small-molecule targeted therapies have emerged as a potential new therapeutic paradigm in medulloblastoma treatment. However, the development of chemoresistance due to surviving cancer stem cells and dysregulation of miRNAs remains a challenge. [Trends Pharmacol Sci] Abstract

Roles of MicroRNAs and RNA-Binding Proteins in the Regulation of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells

Colorectal cancer stem cells are responsible for the initiation, progression and metastasis of human colorectal cancers, and have been characterized by the expression of cell surface markers, such as CD44, CD133, CD166 and LGR5. MicroRNAs are differentially expressed between CSCs and non-tumorigenic cancer cells, and play important roles in the maintenance and regulation of stem cell properties of CSCs. [Cancers] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cancer stem cell research field.

AbbVie and Harpoon Therapeutics Announce Immuno-Oncology Research Collaboration

AbbVie and Harpoon Therapeutics announced that they have entered an immuno-oncology research collaboration. [AbbVie, Inc.] Press Release

Actinium Pharmaceuticals Announces Activation of Fifteenth Clinical Trial Site in the Phase III SIERRA Trial for Iomab-B

Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the company has successfully activated fifteen clinical trial sites in the pivotal Phase III SIERRA (Study of Iomab-B in Elderly Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia) trial. [Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

United States Should Dramatically Retool Animal Research Rules, Groups Say

The Association of American Medical Colleges and three allied groups are pushing for sweeping changes to animal research rules. In a report, the groups call for moving all oversight to a single, unnamed agency, conducting less frequent lab inspections, and giving researchers greater say in crafting new rules. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

French Scientists in Uproar over Changes to Medical-Research Clusters

A group of French scientists is due to meet government officials in a bid to resolve a row that has left many of the country’s leading biomedical researchers furious. Scientists were shocked when the government unexpectedly postponed a call for applications to create a new crop of medical-research clusters just days before the closing date, and said that it would slash the budget earmarked for the project. [Nature News] Editorial

Iranian Scholar Sentenced to Death

A judge in Tehran has ordered the death penalty for Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali, according to his wife and diplomatic sources in Italy. Djalali is affiliated with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara, Italy. A resident of Sweden with his family, Djalali was arrested in April 2016 on an academic visit to Tehran and accused of “collaboration with a hostile government”. [Nature News] Editorial

In Brazil, Researchers Struggle to Fend Off Deepening Budget Cuts

With time and money running out, Brazilian scientists are turning up the pressure on the federal government to avoid a total collapse of the national science and technology funding system before the end of the year. Researchers delivered a petition with more than 82,000 signatures to congressional leaders in Brasília, demanding the reversal of deep budget cuts that have left research institutions struggling to pay even basic water and electricity bills. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW 37^th World Congress of Hematology (ISH)
September 13-16, 2018
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Stem Cell Research (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Positions – Brain Cancer Biology (University of Copenhagen)

Scientist – Tumour Microenvironment and Cancer Stem Cells (Evotec Toulouse)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Leukemia Stem Cells (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Assistant Professor – Cancer Biology (Perelman School of Medicine)

Assistant Professor – Cancer Research (University of Minnesota)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Stem Cell Research (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Positions – Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (Johns Hopkins University)

Director – Stanford Cancer Institute (Stanford University)

Faculty Positions – Cancer and Stem Cell Biology (Sun Yat-Sen University)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Cancer Stem Cell Biology (Genome Institute of Singapore)

Research Officers – Cancer Stem Cell Biology (Genome Institute of Singapore)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Cancer Stem Cell News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.