Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 6.49 | Dec 13 2017

TOP STORY

Drug Suppresses Spread of Breast Cancer Caused by Stem-Like Cells

Scientists revealed that co-expression of cell surface receptor integrin αvβ3 and transcription factor Slug — a master regulator of a cell’s ability to self-renew and differentiate — identifies rare stem-like cells in patient-derived tumor samples that are associated with metastasis. [Press release from the University of California, San Diego discussing online prepublication in The Journal of Clinical Investigation] Press Release | Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Breast Cancer Metastasis Suppressor OTUD1 Deubiquitinates SMAD7

Researchers report a loss-of-function screen in mice with metastasis as readout and identified OTU domain-containing protein 1 (OTUD1) as a metastasis-repressing factor. OTUD1-silenced cancer cells showed mesenchymal and stem-cell-like characteristics. [Nat Commun] Full Article

SUV420H2 Is an Epigenetic Regulator of Epithelial/Mesenchymal States in Pancreatic Cancer

Through its repressive mark H4K20me3, SUV420H2 silences several key drivers of the epithelial state. Its knockdown elicited mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition on a molecular and functional level, and cells displayed decreased stemness and increased drug sensitivity. [J Cell Biol] Full Article | Press Release

Interferon-Beta Represses Cancer Stem Cell Properties in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

The authors found that repressed IFN signaling in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) with CSC-like properties is due to high levels of IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 and that treatment with IFN-β reduces CSC properties, suggesting a therapeutic strategy to treat drug-resistant, highly aggressive TNBC tumors. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

Inhibition of ID1–BMPR2 Intrinsic Signaling Sensitizes Glioma Stem Cells to Differentiation Therapy

Scientists performed in silico screening and in vitro validation studies through Western blotting, qRT-PCR for treatment of WNT and SHH signaling inhibitors, and BMP signaling inducer with control and inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1)-overexpressing cells. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract | Full Article

Diabetes as Risk Factor for Pancreatic Cancer: Hyperglycemia Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition and Stem Cell Properties in Pancreatic Ductal Epithelial Cells

The authors investigated whether hyperglycemia promotes epithelial-mesenchymal-transition and CSC-features in premalignant and malignant pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. While hyperglycemia did not impact the mesenchymal phenotype of Panc1 cells, CSC-properties were aggravated exemplified by increased Nanog expression and Nanog-dependent formation of holo- and meroclones. [Cancer Lett] Abstract

Negative Control of the HGF/c-MET Pathway by TGF-β: A New Look at the Regulation of Stemness in Glioblastoma

Using genetic and pharmacological approaches to stimulate or antagonize the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway in human glioma-initiating cells, investigators observed that TGF-β exerts an inhibitory effect on c-MET phosphorylation. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

BCL-X_LOverexpression Promotes Tumor Progression-Associated Properties

BCL-X_L overexpressing cells exhibited higher tumor sphere formation capacity and expressed higher levels of some stem cell markers, supporting the concept that BCL-X_L plays essential roles in the maintenance of cancer stem cell phenotype. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

lncTCF7 Is a Negative Prognostic Factor, and Knockdown of lncTCF7 Inhibits Migration, Proliferation and Tumorigenicity in Glioma

Loss of function assays revealed that knockdown of lncTCF7 significantly inhibited glioma cell migration, proliferation and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. [Sci Rep] Full Article

GANT-61 and GDC-0449 Induce Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells through a GLI-Dependent Mechanism

Inhibition of the Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway by GANT-61 induced apoptosis with more efficacy than by GDC-0449 in prostate cancer (PC) stem cells and PC cell lines. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract

Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Signaling Pathways by Resveratrol and Pterostilbene

In past decades, increasing evidence regarding CSCs may account for carcinogenesis, tumor drug-resistant, and metastasis. The authors focus on targeting signaling pathways of CSCs by natural resveratrol and its dimethylated derivative pterostilbene. [Biofactors] Abstract

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

Oncotarget Awards Grants to Four Biomedical Researchers at Frontiers in Cancer Science

Oncotarget awarded travel grants enabling four biomedical researchers to attend the Frontiers in Cancer Science (FCS) 2017 conference in Singapore. [Oncotarget (PR Newswire Association LLC)] Press Release

BioLineRx Reports Overall Survival Results from Long-Term Follow-Up of Phase IIa Trial in r/r AML

BioLineRx Ltd. announced positive overall survival data from the long-term follow-up part of the Phase IIa trial of BL-8040 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML). [BioLineRx Ltd.] Press Release

French Researchers Hope New Chief Will Revitalize Troubled Funding Agency

French scientists are hopeful that the newly appointed chief of a major research-funding agency will revive an organization suffering from squeezed budgets and staff discontent. [Nature News] Editorial

Iran’s Supreme Court Confirms Death Sentence for Jailed Scholar

Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence handed to Ahmadreza Djalali, a scholar who worked in Europe, according to the human-rights group Amnesty International. [Nature News] Editorial

Brexit ‘Breakthrough’ Raises Hope — and Questions

British science is expected to benefit from a deal that would allow EU nationals to remain in the country once it leaves the union. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW The London Stem Cell Network Symposium 2018
February 26, 2018
London, United Kingdom

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

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells (Universitatsklinikum Ulm)

Postdoctoral Training Fellow – Leukemic Stem Cells (The Francis Crick Institute)

PhD Student – Stem Cells in Tumor Initiation (German Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Stem Cells (Queen Mary University of London)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Cancer/Stem Cell Biology (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Medulloblastoma and Glioblastoma Multiforme (University of Toronto)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Cell Signaling (University of Sussex)

Postdoctoral Positions – Hematopoietic/Leukemic Stem Cell Biology (New York University School of Medicine)

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

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)

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