Dermal Cell News Volume 3.37 | Nov 6 2017

TOP STORY

E-Cadherin Integrates Mechanotransduction and EGFR Signaling to Control Junctional Tissue Polarization and Tight Junction Positioning

Scientists identified an E-cadherin-dependent mechanical circuit that integrates adhesion, contractile forces and biochemical signaling to drive the polarized organization of junctional tension necessary to build an in vivo epithelial barrier. [Nat Commun] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

DERMAL STEM CELLS & TISSUE REGENERATION

Development and Evaluation of Finasteride Loaded Ethosomes for Targeting to the Pilosebaceous Unit

The authors portrayed the ability of finasteride loaded ethosomes to permeate across the stratum corneum to reach the pilosebaceous unit of the hair follicle. [Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol] Abstract

The Human Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 3 Channel Is Sensitized via the ERK Pathway

Researchers explored the molecular mechanism that increases transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) activity through epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation. They used mutagenesis and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments on TRPV3 channels endogenously expressed in an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line and in transiently transfected HEK293T cells and found that the sensitizing effect of EGFR on TRPV3 is mediated by ERK. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article

Restoration of the Basement Membrane After Wounding: A Hallmark of Young Human Skin Altered with Aging

The authors used a CO₂ laser to perform partial thickness wounds in human volunteers, and directly compared wound repair in healthy young and aged individuals, focusing on the dermal-epidermal junction. [J Cell Commun Signal] Abstract

Modulation of Cutaneous Scavenger Receptor B1 Levels by Exogenous Stressors Impairs “In Vitro” Wound Closure

Scientists demonstrated that scavenger receptor B1 (SR-B1) levels are down-regulated in human cultured keratinocytes by environmental stressors, such as cigarette smoke, via cellular redox imbalance. The present study aimed to investigate whether such down-regulation was confirmed in a 3D skin model and under other environmental challengers such as particulate matter and ozone. [Mech Ageing Dev] Abstract

SKIN CANCERS & DISORDERS

MicroRNA-519d Promotes Melanoma Progression by Downregulating EphA4

Using melanospheres as a model to investigate progression mechanisms, investigators found that miR-519d overexpression was sufficient to promote cell proliferation, migration, invasion and adhesion in vitro and lung metastatic capability in vivo. [Cancer Res] Abstract

Atypical Fibroxanthoma and Pleomorphic Dermal Sarcoma Harbor Frequent NOTCH1/2 and FAT1 Mutations and Similar DNA Copy Number Alteration Profiles

Researchers found that atypical fibroxanthoma and pleomorphic dermal sarcoma are highly mutated tumors with recurrent mutations in FAT1, NOTCH1/2, CDKN2A, TP53, and the TERT promoter, and a range of DNA copy number alterations. [Mod Pathol] Abstract

Degradation of AMPK-α1 Sensitizes BRAF Inhibitor-Resistant Melanoma Cells to Arginine Deprivation

The authors demonstrated that downregulation of AMPK-α1 in BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi)-resistant melanoma cells is a major factor contributing to impairment of autophagy as evidenced by decreased autophagosome formation. [Mol Oncol] Abstract | Full Article

miR-137 Inhibits Glutamine Catabolism and Growth of Malignant Melanoma by Targeting Glutaminase

Investigators showed that miR-137 was decreased in melanoma tissue, and the low miR-137 level and high glutaminase expression are independent risk factor in melanoma. miR-137 suppressed the proliferation and glutamine catabolism of melanoma cells. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract

Master Regulatory Role of p63 in Epidermal Development and Disease

The authors propose future directions for dissecting p63-controlled mechanisms in normal and diseased epidermal development and for developing therapeutic options. [Cell Mol Life Sci] Full Article

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

First Clinical Data from Combination of X4P-001-IO and Keytruda^® (Pembrolizumab) in Patients with Melanoma Will Be Presented

X4 Pharmaceuticals announced that the first data from its ongoing Phase Ib clinical study of X4P-001-IO in patients with melanoma will be presented. [Press release from X4 Pharmaceuticals discussing research to be presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting, National Harbor] Press Release

NewLink Genetics Announces FDA Orphan-Drug Designation for Indoximod

NewLink Genetics Corporation announced that indoximod, its leading drug development candidate, was granted orphan-drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of patients with stage IIb-IV melanoma. [NewLink Genetics Corporation] Press Release

NeoMatrix Therapeutics Enters Clinical Stage as Investigational New Drug Application for NMT-cP12 Goes Into Effect

The Investigational New Drug Application filed by NeoMatrix Therapeutics, Inc. for NMT-cP12 has gone into effect per the FDA. NMT-cP12, a highly specific and highly engineered therapeutic derived from the protein fibronectin, is designed to target platelet-derived growth factor, thereby promoting tissue cell survival and inhibiting the cascade of burn injury progression—a significant unmet need in burn patients. [NeoMatrix Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

US Government Approves ‘Killer’ Mosquitoes to Fight Disease

The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of a common bacterium to kill wild mosquitoes that transmit viruses such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika. The agency told biotechnology start-up MosquitoMate that it could release the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis into the environment as a tool against the Asian tiger mosquito. [Nature News] Editorial

Lamar Smith, the Departing Head of the House Science Panel, Will Leave a Controversial and Complicated Legacy

When Representative Lamar Smith announced that he would not run for re-election in 2018, after 32 years in Congress, many scientists reacted with glee. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Leading Western Publisher Bows to Chinese Censorship

Springer Nature, whose publications include Nature and Scientific American, acknowledged that at the government’s request, it had removed articles from its mainland site that touch on topics the ruling Communist Party considers sensitive, including Taiwan, Tibet, human rights and elite politics. [The New York Times] Editorial

NEW The European Society for Pigment Cell Research (ESCPCR) 21^st Annual Meeting
September 24-27, 2018
Rennes, France

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

NEW Assistant Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Minnesota)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Tissue Engineering (University of Zurich)

PhD Student – Immunology/Cell Biology (University Hospital Muenster)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Melanoma (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Faculty Positions – Cancer Research (Huntsman Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Genomics (University of California, San Diego)

Senior Scientist – Cancer Biology (Dana Farber Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Wound Healing (University of Connecticut Health Center)

PhD Position – Molecular Biology (University of Luxembourg)

Research Technician – Adult Skin Stem Cells (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

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