Extracellular Matrix News 10.06 February 21, 2019 | |
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TOP STORYBy lengthening the time that human PSCs were exposed to a 3D microenvironment, and by applying defined renal inductive signals, scientists generated kidney organoids that transcriptomically matched second-trimester human fetal kidneys. They validated these results using ex vivo and in vitro assays that modeled renal development. [Nat Mater] Abstract | Press Release | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)Kindlin-2 Links Mechano-Environment to Proline Synthesis and Tumor Growth ECM stiffening promoted kindlin-2 translocation into mitochondria and its interaction with pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), resulting in the elevation of PYCR1 level and consequent increase of proline synthesis and cell proliferation. [Nat Commun] Full Article The hydrogel dressings significantly enhanced vascularization by upregulating growth factor expression of CD31 and improved granulation tissue thickness and collagen deposition, all of which promoted wound closure and contributed to a better therapeutic effect than the commercial Tegaderm films group in a mouse full-thickness wound model. [Small] Abstract T cell integrin αV deletion led to a striking defect in the number and size of the germinal centers (GCs) following immunization with OVA protein in complete Freund’s adjuvant. The GC defect was not due to integrin αV deficiency impeding follicular helper T cell (Tfh) generation or follicle entry or the ability of αV-CD4 cKO Tfh to contact and support B cell activation. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract Short stress relaxation times led to increased cell migration along a hypoxic gradient in 3D collagen matrices, and rapid stress relaxation upregulated procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2 expression via TGFβ-SMAD2- signaling, forming a feedback loop between hypoxia and the matrix. Inhibition of this pathway led to a decrease in migration along the hypoxic gradients. [Cancer Res] Abstract Collagen Fiber Structure Guides 3D Motility of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Scientists encapsulated activated CD8+ T cells in collagen hydrogels of distinct fiber alignment, a characteristic of tumor microenvironments. They found that human CD8+ T cells moved faster and more persistently in aligned collagen fibers compared with nonaligned collagen fibers. Moreover, CD8+ T cells moved along the axis of collagen alignment. [Matrix Biol] Abstract Researchers showed that macrophage-derived matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP8) promoted smooth muscle cell differentiation from adventitia stem/progenitor cells through modulating TGF-β activity and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10/Notch1 signaling. [Cardiovasc Res] Abstract Under confocal microscopic examination, c-Met was found possibly partially associated with keratin 16 (KRT16) through β5-integrin. Depletion of KRT16 led to increased protein degradation of β5-integrin and c-Met through a lysosomal pathway leading to inhibition of their downstream Src/STAT3/FAK/ERK signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. [J Exp Clin Cancer Res] Full Article Compared with stiff 420 Pascal (Pa) and 1 050 Pa gels, the 90 Pa soft fibrin gel was most efficient at isolating and enriching tumor colonies. The size and number of colony formation negatively correlated with gel stiffness. Specifically, these tumor colonies exhibited efficient tumorigenicity, upregulated stem cell markers, and had anti-chemotherapeutic properties and were thus named tumor-repopulating cells. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article MKK3 Modulates JNK-Dependent Cell Migration and Invasion Ectopic expression of MKK3 licorne (lic) was sufficient to induce c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-mediated but p38-independent cell migration, and cooperate with oncogenic Ras to promote tumor invasion. Consistently, Lic was able to activate JNK signaling by phosphorylating JNK, which up-regulated the matrix metalloproteinase MMP1 and integrin, characteristics of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Investigators studied the effect of polymer chain flexibility on cell adhesion to various hydrogel constructs of collagen and fibrin gels. Specifically, a novel method of semi-flexible model-based analysis confirmed that chain flexibility mediated microstructure of the hydrogels was a critical factor for cell adhesion on their surfaces. [Sci Rep] Full Article Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Endothelial Cell News & Dermal Cell News. | |
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REVIEWSTargeting Tumor Microenvironment for Cancer Therapy A big effort is being made to develop new therapeutic strategies towards a more efficient targeting of the tumor microenvironment (TME). These efforts focus on: therapeutic strategies targeting TME components, extending from conventional therapeutics, to combined therapies and nanomedicines; and the development of models that accurately resemble the TME for bench investigations, including tumor-tissue explants, “tumor on a chip” or multicellular tumor-spheroids. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the extracellular matrix research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSGenerex Biotechnology Corporation announced that the company’s subsidiary Regentys Corporation was granted a Notice of Allowance for its patent application entitled “Method and Composition for Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Colectomy” in Japan. [Generex Biotechnology Corp.] Press Release $2.3 Million NIH Grant Aims to Help Improve Diversity in Science and Health Care Through a recent five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of Kentucky faculty Don Frazier and Brett Spear will partner with faculty from qualified minority-serving institutions across the US and Puerto Rico to help improve diversity in science and health care. [University of Kentucky] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSA New Law Was Supposed to Protect South Africans’ Privacy. It May Block Important Research Instead At a time when giant sample and data repositories called biobanks are transforming health research by allowing multiple researchers to ask different questions of the same data, South Africa’s rule could limit such secondary use of data and hamstring international collaborations. [ScienceInsider] Editorial Scientists Raise Concerns About Revisions to Human Research Regulations Authors of a new paper take issue with revisions to regulations on biospecimen research enacted last month, and argue that cell lines should be treated differently from other biospecimens. [The Scientist] Editorial Australia Dials Back Effort to Control ‘Dual Use’ Research A review of Australian export laws has pushed back against the government’s effort to tighten controls on technologies and research that might have dual military and non-military uses. Australian researchers, who were concerned that sweeping controls would restrict collaborative research, have welcomed the findings. [Nature News] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW ISCT 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting NEW Keystone Symposia: Cancer Stem Cells – Advances in Biology and Clinical Translation Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESScientist – Matrix Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.) Assistant Professor – Development & Re-Generation of Biological Systems (ETH Zurich) Tenure Track Associate Professor – Molecular Cell Biology (Aarhus University) Tenure Track Assistant Professor – Regenerative Medicine (University of British Columbia) Associate Senior Lecturer – Molecular Medicine/Regenerative Medicine (Lund University) Postdoctoral Associate – Planar Cell Polarity (Stony Brook University) Postdoctoral Fellowship – Tissue Fibrosis Resolution (UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute) 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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