Mammary Cell News Volume 2.01 | Jan 14 2010

Biological and Molecular Heterogeneity of Breast Cancers Correlates With Their Cancer Stem Cell Content
Researchers report the isolation to near purity of human normal mammary stem cells (hNMSCs), from cultured mammospheres, on the basis of their ability to retain the lipophilic dye PKH26 as a consequence of their quiescent nature. [Cell]

Breast Cancer Multigene Test is Changing Treatment Decisions by Patients and Doctors
A 21-gene test that predicts whether early stage breast cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy is having a big impact on treatment decisions by patients and doctors alike. [Loyola University Health Center, Maywood]

Women with Breast Cancer May Benefit from Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
Compared to conventional chemotherapy, autologous stem cell transplantation can extend "event-free survival" for breast cancer patients. However, there are indications that this type of stem cell transplantation can more frequently give rise to severe complications affecting almost all organ systems. [Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Cologne]

Mango Effective In Preventing, Stopping Certain Colon, Breast Cancer Cells
Researchers tested mango polyphenol extracts in vitro on colon, breast, lung, leukemia and prostate cancer. Mango showed some impact on lung, leukemia and prostate cancers but was most effective on the most common breast and colon cancers. [Texas A&M AgriLife, College Station]

Medifocus, Inc. Announces Positive Clinical Results of Its Breast Cancer Treatment Studies Published in Annals of Surgical Oncology: Planning to Begin Phase III In Early 2010
Medifocus, Inc. is pleased to announce that a review article summarizing clinical studies of the Company’s Microfocus APA 1000 Breast Cancer Thermotherapy System was published in the journal Annals of Surgical Oncology. [Medifocus Inc., Vancouver]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

C/EBPBeta Regulates Stem Cell Activity and Specifies Luminal Cell Fate in the Mammary Gland
Utilizing both a germline and a conditional knockout strategy, this study demonstrates that mammosphere formation was significantly decreased in C/EBPBeta-deficient mammary epithelial cells. [Stem Cells]

C-Jun Induces Mammary Epithelial Cellular Invasion and Breast Cancer Stem Cell Expansion
Transgenic mice expressing the mammary gland targeted ErbB2 oncogene were crossed with c-junf/f transgenic mice to determine the role of endogenous c-Jun in mammary tumor invasion and stem cell function. [J Biol Chem]

T Cell Receptor Mimic Monoclonal Antibody Targets a Specific Peptide/HLA Class I Complex and Significantly Impedes Tumor Growth In Vivo Using Breast Cancer Models
RL4B, a monoclonal antibody classified as a T cell receptor mimic because it recognizes peptide in the context of major histocompatibility complex, has cytotoxic activity in vitro and prevented growth of tumor cells in a prophylactic setting. [J Immunol]

Gene Expression Analysis of Macrophages That Facilitate Tumor Invasion Supports a Role for Wnt-Signaling in Mediating Their Activity in Primary Mammary Tumors
Based on the results of this study, researchers conjectured that invasive tumor-associated macrophages link angiogenesis and tumor invasion and that Wnt-signaling plays a role in mediating their activity. [J Immunol]

Frequent Aberrant DNA Methylation of ABCB1, FOXC1, PPP2R2B and PTEN in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ and Early Invasive Breast Cancer
Quantitative methylation analysis identified ABCB1, FOXC1, PPP2R2B and PTEN as novel genes to be methylated in ductal carcinoma in situ. In particular, FOXC1 showed a significant increase in the methylation frequency in invasive tumours. [Breast Cancer Res]

RNAi-Mediated Downregulation of uPAR Synergizes with Targeting of HER2 through ERK Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells
Results provide evidence that simultaneous downregulation of HER2 and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor may offer an effective tool for breast cancer therapy. [Int J Cancer]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Prospective Multicenter Study of the Impact of the 21-Gene Recurrence Score Assay on Medical Oncologist and Patient Adjuvant Breast Cancer Treatment Selection
The results of this study indicate that the 21-gene recurrence score assay impacts medical oncologist adjuvant treatment recommendations, patient treatment choice, and patient anxiety. [J Clin Oncol]

Association Between the 21-Gene Recurrence Score Assay and Risk of Locoregional Recurrence in Node-Negative, Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Results From NSABP B-14 and NSABP B-20
The 21-gene OncotypeDX recurrence score assay quantifies the risk of distant recurrence in tamoxifen-treated patients with node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. [J Clin Oncol]

Prevention of Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Bone Loss Using Risedronate: The SABRE Trial
In postmenopausal women at risk of fragility fracture who were receiving adjuvant anastrozole for early breast cancer, the addition of risedronate at doses established for preventing and treating osteoporosis resulted in favorable effects in bone mineral density during 24 months. [J Clin Oncol]

The Institut Curie and Ipsogen Sign a Scientific Collaboration Agreement Relating to the Genomic Grade, a Molecular Diagnostic Tool for Breast Cancer
The Institut Curie and IPSOGEN announce the signing of a scientific collaboration agreement in the breast cancer domain.

NeoPharm Presents the Phase II Data of Liposome-Entrapped Paclitaxel (LEP) in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer
NeoPharm, Inc. announced the results of a Phase II clinical trial of Liposome-Entrapped Paclitaxel (LEP) an active component of Taxol(R). This multicenter, open-label trial of LEP was conducted at five centers in India.

Enzon Opens a Phase II Study of PEG-SN38 for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the first patient has been treated in the Phase II studies of PEG-SN38 for metastatic breast cancer. PEG-SN38 or EZN-2208 is Enzon’s PEGylated form of SN38, the active metabolite of the cancer drug Camptosar®.

Federal Drug Administration Issues Fast Track Designation to Sopherion Therapeutics’ Myocet
Sopherion Therapeutics, LLC. announced that it has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Myocet(TM)) for first-line therapy of HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer.

Appeals Court Reinstates More Than 100 Lawsuits Against Makers Of HRT Prempro
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Wednesday reinstated more than 100 lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies filed by women or their surviving relatives claiming that the companies’ hormone replacement therapy drugs caused breast cancer. [8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, United States]

After Long March, Scientists Create ‘Chinese National Institute of Health’
China’s first biomedical research fund debuted last week. The National Natural Science Foundation of China launched a medical department that expects to disburse about 1 billion renminbi ($150 million) in government grants in 2010. [The National Natural Science Foundation of China, People’s Republic of China]

Advisory Committees; Tentative Schedule of Meetings for 2010 [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

NIH Broadens Eligibility for NIH Diversity and Re-Entry Supplements (NOT-OD-10-045) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (S10) (PAR-10-082) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Salary Limitation on FY2010 AHRQ Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts (NOT-HS-10-012) [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, United States]

IACUC 101 and 201 PLUS Workshops: February 24-25, 2010 in Lafayette, LA (NOT-OD-10-044) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2010 (NOT-OD-10-047) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

EVENTS

7th European Breast Cancer Conference
March 24-27, 2010
Barcelona, Spain

27th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference
March 3-6, 2010
Miami, United States

ASCO Annual Meeting
June 4-8, 2010
Chicago, United States

ASBD’s 34th Annual Symposium
April 16-17, 2010,
New York City, Untied States

BIT’s 3rd Annual World Cancer Congress 2010 – Breast Cancer Conference
April 25-27, 2010
Shanghai, China

IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference
May 6-8, 2010
Brussels, Belgium

Breast Cancer Research 2010 Conference
May 18, 2010
London, United Kingdom

Gordon Research Conference: Mammary Gland Biology
June 6-11, 2010
Lucca (Barga), Italy

12th Milan Breast Cancer Conference
June 16-18, 2010
Milan, Italy

The 21st Meeting of the European Association for Cancer Research
June 26-29, 2010
Oslo, Norway

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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