Intestinal Cell News Volume 1.05 | Apr 24 2015

Mechanistic Investigation of the Biological Effects of SiO2 , TiO2 , and ZnO Nanoparticles on Intestinal Cells
Researchers aimed to investigate the potential side-effects of food-borne nanoparticles (NP) on intestinal cells. Zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs invoked the most inflammatory responses from the cells and induced the highest intracellular production of reactive oxygen species. [Small] Abstract

Loss of Caspase-3 Sensitizes Colon Cancer Cells to Genotoxic Stress via RIP1-Dependent Necrosis
Investigators generated caspase-3 knockout and knockdown human colorectal cancer cells, and found that they are sensitized to DNA-damaging agents including 5-fluorouracil, etoposide, and camptothecin. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

HIF-Dependent Regulation of Claudin-1 Is Central to Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junction Integrity
Given the central role of intestinal epithelial cells in barrier function, researchers determined whether hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) influenced epithelial tight junction structure and function. [Mol Biol Cell]
Article | Full Article

l-Tryptophan Activates Mammalian Target of Rapamycin and Enhances Expression of Tight Junction Proteins in Intestinal Porcine Epithelial Cells
Researchers tested the hypothesis that l-tryptophan may activate mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 and enhance expression of tight junction proteins in intestinal porcine epithelial cells. [J Nutr] Abstract

Triptolide Abrogates Growth of Colon Cancer and Induces Cell Cycle Arrest by Inhibiting Transcriptional Activation of E2F
Investigators evaluated whether triptolide/minnelide is effective against colorectal cancer and elucidated the mechanism by which triptolide induces cell death in colorectal cancer. [Lav Invest] Abstract

Involvement of Concentrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 in Intestinal Absorption of Trifluridine Using Human Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells
To evaluate the intestinal absorption mechanism of anticancer trifluridine, scientists investigated the uptake and transcellular transport of FTD by human small intestinal epithelial cell monolayer as a model of human intestinal epithelial cells. [J Pharm Sci] Abstract

INTESTINAL STEM CELL & ORGANOID RESEARCH

Scap Is Required for Sterol Synthesis and Crypt Growth in Intestinal Mucosa
To determine whether Scap loss is tolerated in the intestine, scientists generated a mouse model (Vil-Scap^–) in which tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ER^T2 ablates Scap in intestinal mucosa. Organoids grown ex vivo from intestinal crypts of Vil-Scap^– mice are readily killed when Scap is deleted by 4-hydroxytamoxifen. [J Lipid Res]
Abstract | Full Article

Frizzled7 Functions as a Wnt Receptor in Intestinal Epithelial Lgr5⁺ Stem Cells
Scientists showed that Frizzled 7 (Fzd7) is enriched in Lgr5+ stem cells and binds Wnt3 and Wnt2b. Conditional deletion of the Fzd7 gene in adult intestinal epithelium leads to stem cell loss in vivo and organoid death in vitro. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Colorectal cancer: Back to The Stroma-The Real Villain in Colorectal Cancer?
The cells responsible for particular gene signatures in large-scale microarray studies of colorectal cancer have now been revealed. In doing so, the gene signature associated with poor prognosis is shown to be predominantly of stromal origin. [Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol] Abstract

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Long Non-Coding RNA Modulates Colorectal Cancer Metabolism
Scientists have found that a specific long non coding RNA called CCAT2 regulates cancer metabolism both in vivo and in vitro. [Press release from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discussing research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2015, Philadelphia] Press Release

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To Fight Nasty Digestive Bugs, University of Michigan Scientists Set Out to Build a Better Gut – Using Stem Cells
New $6.4 million federal grant support will fuel the development of “guts in a dish” to study interaction between cells & microbes in both health and disease [University of Michigan] Press Release

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Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Homeostasis in Gut Development and Disease (Sickkids Research Institute)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology Endoderm Lineages (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoc Physiology (Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre)

Assistant Investigator – Colon Cancer (Baylor Research Institute and Sammons Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

Senior Medical Advisor – Inflammation & Immunology (Celgene Corporation)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Transcriptional Mechanisms of Stomach and Intestinal Stem Cells (Sickkids Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Functional Role of Intestinal Macrophages (University of Massachusetts Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – New Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Cornell University)

Postdoctoral Positions – Microbiota in Cancer (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)

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