Endothelial Cell News 3.14 April 23, 2018 | |
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TOP STORYMolecule that Dilates Blood Vessels Hints at New Way to Treat Heart Disease Scientists identified a protein, called GPR68, that senses blood flow and tells small blood vessels called arterioles when to dilate. They believe medications that activate GPR68 could one day be useful to treat medical conditions, including ischemic stroke. [Press release from The Scripps Research Institute discussing online prepublication in Cell] Press Release | Abstract | Graphical Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)Researchers investigated the role of endothelial cell (EC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) interaction and underlying signaling pathways in pulmonary hypertension (PH) development. SMC-specific Foxm1 or Cxcr4 knockout mice, EC-specific Foxm1 or Egln1 knockout mice, as well as EC-specific Egln1/Cxcl12 double knockout mice were used to assess the role of FoxM1 on SMC proliferation and PH. [Am J Respir Crit Care Med] Abstract The authors showed that matrix stiffness controls lymphatic vascular morphogenesis. Atomic force microscopy measurements in mouse embryos revealed that venous lymphatic endothelial cell progenitors experience a decrease in substrate stiffness upon migration out of the cardinal vein, which induces a GATA2-dependent transcriptional program required to form the first lymphatic vessels. [Nat Commun] Full Article NGR (Asn-Gly-Arg)-Targeted Delivery of Coagulase to Tumor Vasculature Arrests Cancer Cell Growth Scientists took advantage of the unique coagulation properties of staphylocoagulase and genetically engineered it to generate a new fusion protein with novel anti-cancer properties. This novel bi-functional protein consisted of truncated coagulase and an NGR motif that recognized CD13 and αvβ3 integrin receptors, targeting it to tumor endothelial cells. [Oncogene] Full Article Aiming at the production of endothelial cells, investigators developed a robust approach for efficient endothelial differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells in scalable suspension culture. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article Inhibition of Dll4/Notch1 Pathway Promotes Angiogenesis of Masquelet’s Induced Membrane in Rats In vitro experiments revealed that knocking down notch homolog 1 (Notch1) contributed to the functional improvement of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and that DAPT-treated induced membrane tissue was more favorable for angiogenesis of EPCs compared with the vehicle group. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article Spatial Patterning of the Notch Ligand Dll4 Controls Endothelial Sprouting In Vitro Dll4 – Notch1 signaling directs endothelial cells into migrating tip or proliferating stalk cells. The authors used the directing properties of Dll4 to spatially control endothelial cell fate and the direction of endothelial sprouts. [Sci Rep] Full Article Investigators showed that kallikrein-related peptidase 12 (KLK12) efficiently cleaved the human extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and tenascin, both of which are involved in the regulation of endothelial cell adhesion and migration. [Sci Rep] Full Article Scientists showed that a perfusable, endothelialized microvasculature-on-a-chip featuring an interpenetrating-polymer-network hydrogel that recapitulates the stiffness of blood vessel intima, basement membrane self-deposition and self-healing endothelial barrier function for longer than one month enables the real-time visualization, with high spatiotemporal resolution, of microvascular obstruction and endothelial permeability under physiological flow conditions. [Nat Biomed Eng] Abstract Analysis of endothelial cells isolated from livers of caspase-8-deficient embryos revealed neither an increase in the amount of RIPK1 in these cells after Casp8 deletion, nor triggering of RIPK1 phosphorylation. [Differentiation] Full Article Researchers demonstrated that the developmentally critical transcription factor Etv2 is selectively upregulated in both human and mouse tumor-associated endothelial cells and is required for tumor angiogenesis. [JCI Insight] Full Article | |
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REVIEWSThe authors describe the VEGF-A-induced signaling pathways underlying diverse cellular functions, including cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, and the involvement of Rho, Rap, and their related molecules in these pathways. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the endothelial cell research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSJHL Biotech announced that the China Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review JHL’s Clinical Trial Application for a proposed bevacizumab biosimilar, JHL1149, to treat cancer. JHL1149 is an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody. [JHL Biotech] Press Release Eli Lilly and Company announced additional results from its global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III RANGE trial evaluating CYRAMZA® in combination with docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma whose disease progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. CYRAMZA is an antiangiogenic therapy. [Lilly and Company] Press Release NovaDigm Therapeutics announced the initiation of a Phase IIa study evaluating NDV-3A for the reduction of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in a high-risk population of military trainees. NDV-3A contains a recombinant form of the Candida albicans agglutinin-like sequence 3 surface protein, which facilitates Candida adherence to and invasion of human endothelial cells. [NovaDigm Therapeutics] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSThe Salk Institute for Biological Studies has placed prominent cancer and gene therapy scientist Inder Verma on administrative leave and launched an investigation into allegations against him. [ScienceInsider] Editorial Global Cancer Scheme Lets People Share Data across the World People with cancer will soon be able to donate their medical information to a global database aimed at discovering new treatments. When the database becomes fully functional later this year, any individual with cancer will have access to a document – the “Universal Patient Consent Form” – that will allow them to make their medical and genetic data freely accessible to all cancer researchers. [New Scientist Ltd.] Editorial Dutch Universities, Journal Publishers Agree on Open-Access Deals Despite some difficult negotiations, academic institutions in the Netherlands have been securing subscriptions that combine publishing and reading into one fee. [The Scientist] Editorial African Scientists Call for More Control of Their Continent’s Genomic Data Africa-based researchers issued guidelines for the ethical handling of samples for genomic studies. The voluntary rules are an effort to combat ‘helicopter’ research, in which foreign scientists take samples and data from communities and then return to their home institutions. [Nature News] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW LabRoots: 2nd Annual Cell Biology Virtual Event Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Kidney Disease (University of Kansas Medical Center) NEW Postdoctoral Position – Vascular Biology (Uppsala University) Postdoctoral Fellowships – Pulmonary Vascular Disease (Indiana University School of Medicine) PhD Student – Hepatic Endothelial Cells (German Cancer Research Center) Professor – Cell Biology (Universität Münster) Director – Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute (Boston University) Postdoctoral/Research Associate – Renal and Cardiovascular Research (University of Virginia) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
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