Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 7.47 | Nov 28 2018

TOP STORY

Longitudinal Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Patient-Derived Primary Cells Reveals Drug-Induced Infidelity in Stem Cell Hierarchy

Scientists revealed that drug-induced adaptation was acquired upon the loss of stem factor SOX2, and a concomitant gain of SOX9. They observed an enrichment of SOX9 at drug-induced H3K27ac sites, suggesting that tumor evolution could be driven by stem cell-switch-mediated epigenetic plasticity. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Hydrophobicity-Adaptive Nanogels for Programmed Anticancer Drug Delivery

The authors showed that the adaptive hydrophobicity of the nanogels facilitated tumor accumulation, deep tumor penetration, and efficient uptake by bulk tumor cells and CSCs, resulting in a greater in vivo enrichment in tumor cells and side population cells. [Nano Lett] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Mutant Kras-Induced Upregulation of CD24 Enhances Prostate Cancer Stemness and Bone Metastasis

Researchers found that the development of reprogrammed EMT-like phenotypes and skeleton metastatic behavior requires concurrent activated Kras and p53 depletion in prostate cancer (PCA). Microarray analyses of primary PCA cells derived from these models identified several cancer stemness genes including CD24, EpCAM, and CD133 upregulated by KRAS^G12D. [Oncogene] Full Article

Dasatinib Sensitises Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells to Chemotherapy by Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Scientists found dasatinib to block paclitaxel (pac)-induced breast cancer stem cell enrichment and Src activation in both parental and pac-resistant triple negative breast cancer cells. Interestingly, dasatinib induced an epithelial differentiation of the pac-resistant mesenchymal cells, resulting in their enhanced sensitivity to paclitaxel. [Br J Cancer] Abstract

Zinc Finger Protein 32 Promotes Breast Cancer Stem Cell-Like Properties through Directly Promoting GPER Transcription

Researchers showed that zinc finger protein 32 could induce expansion of stem cell-like subpopulations and increase drug resistance by upregulating GPER expression, in which ERK activation was also implicated. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

miR-181b/Notch2 Overcome Chemoresistance by Regulating Cancer Stem Cell-Like Properties in NSCLC

Investigators found that ectopic miR-181b expression suppressed cancer stem cell properties and enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin treatment by directly targeting Notch2. miR-181b could inactivate the Notch2/Hes1 signaling pathway. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

c‐Met Inhibition Is Required for the Celecoxib‐Attenuated Stemness Property of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

The authors found that among nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, celecoxib has the most potency for CSC inhibition of colorectal cancer cells, largely correlating to inhibition of c‐Met, not COX‐2. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Human Breast Cancer Decellularized Scaffolds Promote Epithelial‐to‐Mesenchymal Transitions and Stemness of Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Scientists showed that the decellularized breast scaffold model with sodium lauryl ether sulfate treatments would help to simulate the pathogenesis of breast cancer in vitro. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Novel Role of O-Glycosyltransferases GALNT3 and B3GNT3 in the Self-Renewal of Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells

Inhibition of glycosylation decreased growth and CSCs/side population in pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer CSCs overexpressed CSC markers, exhibited global expressional variation of umor-associated carbohydrate antigens and showed higher self-renewal potential. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

TRPM7 Overexpression Enhances the Cancer Stem Cell-Like and Metastatic Phenotypes of Lung Cancer through Modulation of the Hsp90α/uPA/MMP2 Signaling Pathway

Increased TRPM7 expression was associated with enhanced SOX2, KLF4, and CD133, Hsp90α, uPA, and MMP2 expression in lung cancer cells. TRPM7-silencing inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, suppressed stemness markers and phenotypes, concomitantly suppressed Hsp90α/uPA/MMP2 axis. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

The Effect of Transferrin-Targeted, Resveratrol-Loaded Liposomes on Neurosphere Cultures of Glioblastoma: Implications for Targeting Tumor-Initiating Cells

The authors studied the effects of resveratrol (RES) on neurospheres (NS) used as an in vitro model to study tumor-initiating cells derived from glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. Free RES and RES-formulations inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of GBM neurospheres. The NS-derived cells expressed TfRs and the Tf-targeted liposomes showed a significantly higher association with NS versus the non-targeted liposomes. [J Drug Target] Abstract

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Therapy Resistance Mediated by Cancer Stem Cells

Therapy resistance is mediated by the acquisition of dormancy, increased DNA repair and drug efflux capacity, decreased apoptosis as well as the interaction between CSC and their supporting microenvironment, the CSC niche. The authors highlight the role of CSC in chemo- and radiotherapy resistance as well as possible ways to overcome CSC mediated therapy resistance. [Semin Cancer Biol] Abstract

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Huntsman Cancer Institute Breaks Ground for Utah’s First Proton Therapy Center

Officials at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah began construction on a project that will house the region’s first proton therapy center and announced the new center will be named in honor of United States Senator Orrin G. Hatch. [Huntsman Cancer Institute] Press Release

Alcyone Lifesciences Announces the Use of AMC Intratumoral Delivery Platform in the Treatment of First Patient in DNX-2440 Glioblastoma Trial

Alcyone Lifesciences, Inc. announced that the first patient was treated with DNAtrix’s DNX-2440, an oncolytic adenovirus expressing OX40 ligand in a Phase I clinical trial for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. [Alcyone Lifesciences, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

FDA Approves New Treatment Option for People Newly-Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

FDA approved a Genentech medicine in combination with azacitidine, or decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine, for people newly-diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia who are age 75 years or older, or who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy due to coexisting medical conditions. [Genentech] Press Release

Romania Cuts Research Budget for Second Time This Year

The Romanian government has sliced off another €49 million from its research budget, as the ministry for research and innovation failed to put out funding calls to spend all of the €350 million it had allocated for 2018. [Science|Business] Editorial

Some Research May Be Encouraging Ineffective Prescriptions, Says New Study

A new paper published by McGill University researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that some clinical trials may promote the use of ineffective and costly treatments. That’s the opposite of what clinical trials are aimed at, namely preventing ineffective and costly treatments from being taken up by physicians and patients. [McGill University] Editorial

Researcher Who Created CRISPR Twins Defends His Work but Leaves Many Questions Unanswered

The researcher who set off a global firestorm when he announced the birth of the world’s first gene-edited babies defended his study at a meeting. He Jiankui of the Southern University of Science and Technology in nearby Shenzhen, China, said he was “proud” of the work, which he said could lead to disease prevention “for millions of children,” and provided some details about the unpublished research that many scientists and bioethicists—as well as a phalanx of journalists—were clamoring to hear. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW AACR International Conference New Horizons in Cancer Research
May 3-5, 2019
Shenzhen, China

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Cell and Cancer Biology (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Cancer Biology (Mayo Clinic)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Cancer Stem Cells and Organoids (Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

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

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

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)

Postdoctoral Associate – Hematopoiesis and Leukemia (The Jackson Laboratory)

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