Dermal Cell News Volume 2.41 | Nov 21 2016

TOP STORY

New Research Clarifies Why Wounds Heal More Slowly with Age

Older bodies need longer to mend. This reality of aging has been documented since World War I, with the observation that wounds heal slower in older soldiers. Yet until now, researchers have not been able to tease out what age-related changes hinder the body’s ability to repair itself. Scientists explored this physiological puzzle by examining molecular changes in aging mouse skin. The results delineate a new aspect of how the body heals wounds. [Press release from The Rockefeller University discussing online prepublication in Cell] Press Release | Abstract | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

DERMAL STEM CELLS & TISSUE REGENERATION

SRB1 as a New Redox Target of Cigarette Smoke in Human Sebocytes

By using a co-culture system of keratinocytes/sebocytes, scientists found that cigarette smoke (CS) exposure induced a SRB1 protein loss without affecting sebocytes viability. SRB1, a receptor involved in the uptake of cholesterol from HDL, was very susceptible to the oxidative stress induced by CS. [Free Radic Biol Med] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

The Long Non-Coding RNA LncRNA8975-1 Is Upregulated in Hypertrophic Scar Fibroblasts and Controls Collagen Expression

The authors found that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) 8975-1 was overexpressed in hypertrophic scar tissues and dermal fibroblasts. They showed that the long non-coding RNA lncRNA8975-1 is upregulated in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts; furthermore, it inhibits fibroblast proliferation and reduces collagen and α-smooth muscle actin expression. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

Drug Delivery Across Intact and Disrupted Skin Barrier: Identification of Cell Populations Interacting with Penetrated Thermoresponsive Nanogels

In this study a polyglycerol-based thermoresponsive nanogel (tNG) with diameter of 156 nm was investigated by researchers for penetration and release properties upon topical application on ex vivo human skin with intact or disrupted barrier. Furthermore, temperature-triggered effects and the internalization of tNG by skin cells upon translocation to the viable skin layers were analyzed. [Eur J Pharm Biopharm] Abstract

SKIN CANCERS & DISORDERS

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor AhR Links Atopic Dermatitis and Air Pollution via Induction of the Neurotrophic Factor Artemin

Through the use of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-CA mice, whose keratinocytes express constitutively active AhR and that develop atopic-dermatitis-like phenotypes, researchers identified Artn as a keratinocyte-specific AhR target gene whose product (the neurotrophic factor artemin) was responsible for epidermal hyper-innervation that led to hypersensitivity to pruritus. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

Lineage-Specific Roles of the Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Factor CPEB4 in the Regulation of Melanoma Drivers

Scientists identified a lineage-specific requirement of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation binding protein 4 (CPEB4) in malignant melanoma. Melanoma cells are distinct from other tumor cell types in their dependency on CPEB4, not only to prevent mitotic aberrations, but to progress through G1/S cell cycle checkpoints. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Tumor-Targeted Delivery of Sunitinib Base Enhances Vaccine Therapy for Advanced Melanoma by Remodeling the Tumor Microenvironment

To effectively treat advanced melanoma, a multi-target receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib base, was efficiently encapsulated by researchers into a targeted polymeric micelle nano-delivery system, working in a synergistic manner with vaccine therapy in an advanced mouse melanoma model. [J Control Release] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Skin-On-a-Chip Model Simulating Inflammation, Edema and Drug-Based Treatment

The authors described the development of ‘skin-on-a-chip’ to mimic the structures and functional responses of the human skin. Skin inflammation and edema were induced by applying tumor necrosis factor alpha on dermal layer to demonstrate the functionality of the system. [Sci Rep] Full Article

The Mechanism of CIRP in Inhibition of Keratinocytes Growth Arrest and Apoptosis following Low Dose UVB Radiation

Scientists demonstrated that CIRP is elevated in all tested melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer cell lines; and the expression of CIRP is upregulated in keratinocytes after being irradiated with relatively low dose, but not high dose, UVB acutely and chronically. [Mol Carcinog] Abstract

p15 Expression Differentiates Nevus from Melanoma

Investigators determined whether decreased p15 levels represent a general biomarker for the transition from nevus to melanoma. Although decreased p16 expression have been associated with melanoma formation, p15 represented a primary effector of oncogene-induced senescence in nevomelanocytes that was diminished in melanomas. [Am J Pathol] Abstract | Press Release

Melanogenesis Inhibits Respiration in B16-F10 Melanoma Cells Whereas Enhances Mitochondrial Cell Content

Researchers investigated the influence of melanogenesis stimulation in mitochondrial function of B16-F10 melanoma cells. The induction of melanin synthesis was able to reduce significantly the oxygen consumption after 48 hours of stimulation, without changes of mitochondrial membrane potential when compared to non-stimulated cells. Despite of respiration inhibition, the mitochondria mass was higher in cells with melanogenesis stimulation. [Exp Cell Res] Abstract

Obesity as a Risk Factor for Malignant Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

The molecular mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and skin cancer are not clearly understood but emerging evidence points to changes in the tumor microenvironment including aberrant cell signaling and genomic instability in the chronic inflammatory state many obese individuals experience. The authors review the literature linking obesity to melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. [Rev Endocr Metab Disord] Abstract

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

Samumed Presents Data for Potential Topical Treatment for Psoriasis

Samumed announced preclinical results from in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the use of its small molecule compound SM04755 as a potential topical treatment for psoriasis. From in vitro studies, SM04755 inhibited inflammation, keratinocyte proliferation, and fibrosis. In an in vivo mouse model, topically applied SM04755 inhibited inflammation, cell proliferation, and decreased skin thickness compared to vehicle. [Press release from Samumed discussing research presented at the 2016 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.] Press Release

Van Andel Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Awarded National Cancer Institute Grant for Epigenomic Data Analysis

Van Andel Research Institute, in collaboration with Cedars-Sinai, has received a $2.5 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, that will fuel efforts by investigators to uncover the underpinnings of cancer, ultimately helping scientists develop better diagnostic and treatment strategies for a class of diseases that claim more than eight million lives each year worldwide. [Van Andel Institute] Press Release

Janssen Submits Application to FDA Seeking Approval of Anti-Interleukin-23 Monoclonal Antibody Guselkumab for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

Janssen Biotech, Inc. announced the submission of a Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval of guselkumab for the treatment of adults living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Guselkumab is a human monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-23, a protein which has been shown to play a key role in the development of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. [Janssen Biotech, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Dermata Therapeutics, LLC Announces Initiation of Treatment in a Phase II Atopic Dermatitis Study

Dermata Therapeutics, LLC announced dosing of its first patient in a Phase II atopic dermatitis study, with their lead compound DMT210. DMT210 is a novel anti-inflammatory topical gel targeting multiple cytokines in the skin responsible for the itchy, red, swollen and cracked skin seen in most atopic dermatitis patients. [Dermata Therapeutics, LLC (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Cautious Welcome for UK’s Vague £2 Billion Research Pledge

UK scientists have welcomed a surprise government promise to invest an extra £2 billion (US$2.5 billion) per year into research and development by 2020 – although details of the pledge will not be made clear for at least another two days. [Nature News] Editorial

Conservatives, Liberals Team Up Against Animal Research

“Painful, bizarre, and wasteful experiments.” Buying dogs “just to cut them apart … and kill them.” These statements might sound like the rhetoric used by extreme animal rights groups, but they come from White Coat Waste—a new, unlikely coalition of fiscal conservatives and liberal activists that aims to end federal funding for research involving dogs and other animals by targeting people’s pocketbooks in addition to their heartstrings. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conference: Stem Cells & Cancer
February 12-17, 2017
Barga, Italy

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

NEW Postdoctoral Research Assistant – Molecular and Cellular (University of Dundee)

NEW Postdoctoral Position – System Tissue Engineering & Morphogenesis (University of Syracuse)

NEW Assistant Professor – Molecular Therapeutics of Cancer (Dartmouth College)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Genetic Regulators of Tissue Development (University of California-San Diego)

Professorship Position – Dermatology (Medical University of Vienna)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Epithelial Tissue Development (University of California-San Diego)

Postdoctoral Associate – Pathology (Stony Brook University)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunobiology of Stromal Cells (Institut Pasteur)

Scientific Director – Global Medical Affairs (Celgene Corporation)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Cancer Biology (The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine)

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