Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 7.44 | Nov 7 2018

TOP STORY

PRMT2 Links Histone H3R8 Asymmetric Dimethylation to Oncogenic Activation and Tumorigenesis of Glioblastoma

The silencing or inactivation of protein arginine methyltransferase 2 (PRMT2) inhibited glioblastoma multiforme cell growth and glioblastoma stem cell self-renewal in vitro, and suppressed orthotopic tumor growth, accompanied with significant deregulation of genes mainly associated with cell cycle progression and pathways in cancer. [Nat Commun] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Long Noncoding RNA LBCS Inhibits Self-Renewal and Chemoresistance of Bladder Cancer Stem Cells through Epigenetic Silencing of SOX2

Long noncoding RNA LBCS (lnc-LBCS) markedly inhibited self-renewal, chemoresistance and tumor initiation of bladder CSCs (BCSCs) both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, lnc-LBCS directly bound to hnRNPK and EZH2, and served as a scaffold to induce the formation of this complex to repress SOX2 transcription via mediating histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract

Targeting an Autocrine Regulatory Loop in Cancer Stem-Like Cells Impairs the Progression and Chemotherapy Resistance of Bladder Cancer

Compared with OV6^– cells, OV6⁺ bladder cancer cells exhibited strong CSC characteristics, including self-renewal, tumor initiation in NOD/SCID mice and chemotherapy resistance. YAP, which maintains the stemness of OV6⁺ CSCs, triggered PDGFB transcription by recruiting TEAD1. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract

Exosomal Wnt-Induced Dedifferentiation of Colorectal Cancer Cells Contributes to Chemotherapy Resistance

Scientists reported that fibroblasts conferred colorectal cancer (CRC) chemoresistance via exosome-induced reprogramming of bulk CRC cells to phenotypic and functional CSCs. Exosomal Wnts were found to increase Wnt activity and drug resistance in differentiated CRC cells, and inhibiting Wnt release diminished this effect in vitro and in vivo. [Oncogene] Full Article

Unbalanced YAP-SOX9 Circuit Drives Stemness and Malignant Progression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Investigators reported that the genetic or pharmacological inhibition of yes-associated protein (YAP) repressed CSC-like properties, including tumorsphere-forming potential, cell motility, and chemoresistance in vitro, and was sufficient to attenuate tumor growth and CSC marker expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma xenografts. [Oncogene] Full Article

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Multilayer Films Regulate Hypoxic Multicellular Aggregation of Pancreatic Cancer Cells with Distinct Cancer Stem-Cell-Like Properties

A novel 3D model was designed to regulate the type of pancreatic CSC colonies that form using niche mimetic hyaluronic acid-based multilayer nanofilms and hypoxia. The multicellular aggregate morphology, CSC phenotypes, CSC-related marker expression, cell cycle, invasion, and drug resistance were determined. [ACS Appl Mater Interfaces] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Estrogen Receptor β Upregulated by lncRNA-H19 to Promote Cancer Stem-Like Properties in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Estradiol (E2) significantly promoted H19 transcription via estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and elevated H19 expression. Silencing of H19 inhibited E2-induced sphere formation ability. Furthermore, H19 acting as a competitive endogenous RNA sequestered miRNA-3126-5p to reciprocally release ERβ expression. ERβ depletion reversed H19-induced stem-like properties upon E2 treatment. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Differential Expression of MicroRNA-19b Promotes Proliferation of Cancer Stem Cells by Regulating the TSC1/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Multiple Myeloma

miR-19b overexpression substantially promoted clonogenicity and cell viability, and further inhibited apoptosis of CSCs in vitro. Furthermore, miR-19b overexpression downregulated the expression of caspase-3, which induced apoptosis. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

A Curcumin Derivative Hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin Suppresses Stem-Like Features of Glioblastoma Cells by Targeting Ca²⁺/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II

Hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin (HBC) significantly inhibited not only the self-renewal capacity, such as cell growth and neurosphere formation but also the metastasis-promoting ability, such as migration and invasion of glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). HBC induced apoptosis of GSCs in a caspase-dependent manner. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract

Celastrol Strongly Inhibits Proliferation, Migration and Cancer Stem Cell Properties through Suppression of Pin1 in Ovarian Cancer Cells

The authors investigated the anti-cancer efficacy of celastrol and its underlying mechanism in human ovarian cancer cell lines A2780, OVCAR3, and SKOV3. Celastrol treatment inhibited the expression of stem cell marker CD44, Nanog, Klf4, and Oct4, and reduced a portion of the CD44^highCD24^low cell population. [Eur J Pharmacol] Abstract

Prosaposin Promotes the Proliferation and Tumorigenesis of Glioma through Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)-Mediated NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Scientists found that prosaposin (PSAP) was highly expressed and secreted in clinical glioma specimens, glioma stem cells, and glioma cell lines. It was associated with poor prognosis. They found that PSAP significantly promoted the proliferation of glioma stem cells and cell lines. [EBioMedicine] Full Article

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Inhibition of Cancer Stem Cells Promoted by Pimozide

Investigators review the anti-neoplastic role of Pimozide during the tumorigenesis and its potential in revert the process of undifferentiation and proliferation of CSCs through different vias. [Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol] Full Article

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

Pascal Biosciences Announces Optimization of Cannabinoid-Derived Drug Candidates to Kill Glioblastoma Cells

Pascal Biosciences Inc. announced the peer reviewed publication and upcoming presentation of their recently licensed cannabinoid-derived drug program for glioblastoma. [Press release from Pascal Biosciences Inc. discussing research to be presented at the 23^rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, New Orleans] Press Release

Ziopharm Oncology to Present Update on Controlled IL-12 Brain Cancer Trial

Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. announced it will update data from its Phase I trial of Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex, a gene therapy designed to control the expression of interleukin 12 (IL-12), a powerful cytokine that has demonstrated a targeted, anti-tumor immune response for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. [Press release from Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. discussing research to be presented at the 23^rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, New Orleans] Press Release

First Patient Enrolled in Investigator-Initiated Study of Tinostamustine in Glioblastoma

Purdue Pharma L.P. announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a Phase I investigator-initiated clinical trial of tinostamustine, an investigational treatment, in patients with newly-diagnosed unmethylated O6-Methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase glioblastoma multiforme. [Purdue Pharma L.P.] Press Release

Moleculin Announces Significant Milestone Achieved in Glioblastoma Trial

Moleculin Biotech, Inc., announced positive progress in the Phase I clinical trial of its immuno-stimulating STAT3 inhibitor, WP1066, with initial results showing bioavailability of the drug in patients. [Moleculin Biotech LLC] Press Release

Case Western Reserve School of Medicine Awarded $1.6M for Undergraduate Research

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is preparing and inspiring a new generation of cancer investigators through Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research. The 10-week program recently received a five-year National Institutes of Health research grant totaling $1.6 million. [Case Western Reserve University] Press Release

Europe’s Researchers Benefit From Reduced Bureaucracy

The European Union has made good on its promise to reduce the amount of red tape that scientists must wade through when applying for grants from its flagship funding program, according to a report released by the European Court of Auditors. [Nature News] Editorial

Record Number of Monkeys Being Used in U.S. Research

The number of monkeys used in U.S. biomedical research reached an all-time high last year, according to data released in late September by the United States Department of Agriculture. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

What Will a New California Law Mean for Biotech? Hundreds More Women in the Boardroom

In the next few years, publicly traded life sciences companies headquartered in California could collectively need to add hundreds of women to their boards in order to comply with a new state gender-parity law. That’s going to mean finding women to fill 126 board seats in the sector by the end of 2019. [STAT News] Editorial

NEW 2^nd Annual Meeting of the French Society for Stem Cell Research (FSSCR)
December 11, 2018
Nantes, France

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

NEW Research Scientist – Leukemia Stem/Progenitor Cell Research (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

NEW Clinical Research Fellow – Stem Cell Biology of Medulloblastoma (University of Oxford)

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Stem Cells in Brain Tumors (University of Calgary)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Drug Discovery Unit and Molecular Oncology Group (Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute)

Faculty Positions – Cancer & Stem Cell Biology (Duke-NUS Medical School)

Assistant Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine)

PhD Studentships – Cancer (The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute)

Research Assistant – Stem Cell Biology in Blood System Aging and Blood Cancer (The Jackson Laboratory)

Postdoctoral Associate – Hematopoiesis and Leukemia (The Jackson Laboratory)

Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions – Translational Leukemia (Lund University)

Postdoctoral and Research Associate Positions – Chromatin Remodeling Proteins in Normal Stem Cell & Cancer Biology (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

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