Mammary Cell News Volume 3.21 | Jun 2 2011

Scientists Identify Overactive Genes in Aggressive Breast Cancers
Scientists have identified an overactive network of growth-spurring genes that drive stem-like breast cancer cells enriched in triple-negative breast tumors. [Press release from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation]

Roots May Aid in Fight Against Breast Cancer Metastasis
A compound from roots used in Indian traditional medicine can prevent breast cancer cells from metastasizing in animals, researchers have found. [Press release from Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center discussing online prepublication in the International Journal of Cancer]

Cancer Cells Accelerate Aging and Inflammation in the Body to Drive Tumor Growth
Researchers have shed new light on the longstanding conundrum about what makes a tumor grow—and how to make it stop. Interestingly, cancer cells accelerate the aging of nearby connective tissue cells to cause inflammation, which ultimately provides “fuel” for the tumor to grow and even metastasize. [Press release from the Thomas Jefferson University Kimmel Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Cell Cycle]

Beta-Blockers Tied to Breast Cancer Survival
Women with breast cancer who take common blood pressure drugs may have better odds of surviving the disease, according to two preliminary studies. [Press release from Reuters discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology]

Diabetic Drug Could Help Prevent the Spread of Cancer
A protein activated by certain drugs already approved for treating Type II diabetes may slow or stop the spread of breast tumors. [Queen’s University Press Release]

Common Transplant Drug Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth, Laboratory Study Shows
Tacrolimus, a drug that is commonly used to prevent organ transplantation rejection, inhibits breast cancer growth in pre-clinical studies. [University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Press Release]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

The JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway Is Required for Growth of CD44⁺CD24^– Stem Cell–Like Breast Cancer Cells in Human Tumors
Scientists identified 15 genes required for cell growth or proliferation in CD44⁺CD24^– human breast cancer cells in a large-scale loss-of-function screen and found that inhibition of several of these (IL6, PTGIS, HAS1, CXCL3, and PFKFB3) reduced Stat3 activation. [J Clin Invest]

Identification of Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Subtypes and Preclinical Models for Selection of Targeted Therapies
In this study, investigators analyzed gene expression profiles from 21 breast cancer data sets and identified 587 triple-negative breast cancer cases. [J Clin Invest]

Comparative Oncogenomics Identifies Breast Tumors Enriched in Functional Tumor-Initiating Cells
Through cross-species analysis, researchers discovered mouse mammary tumors that have similar gene expression characteristics as human claudin-low tumors and were also enriched for the human tumor-initiating cell signature. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Mammary Epithelial-Specific Disruption of c-Src Impairs Cell Cycle Progression and Tumorigenesis
Investigators demonstrated that mammary epithelial disruption of c-Src impairs proliferation and tumor progression driven by polyomavirus middle-T antigen in vivo. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Sorafenib Enhances Pemetrexed Cytotoxicity through an Autophagy-Dependent Mechanism in Cancer Cells
In the present study, scientists sought to further understand the role of autophagy in the response to pemetrexed and to test if combination therapy could enhance the level of toxicity through altered autophagy in tumor cells. [Cancer Res]

Withaferin A Inhibits Breast Cancer Invasion and Metastasis at Sub-Cytotoxic Doses by Inducing Vimentin Disassembly and Serine 56 Phosphorylation
Researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that withaferin A inhibits cancer metastasis by disrupting vimentin function. [Int J Cancer]

NF-κB Mediates the 12(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid-Induced Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Lymphendothelial Cells During the Intravasation of Breast Carcinoma Cells
Investigators developed a 3-dimensional co-culture model involving MCF-7 breast cancer cell spheroids and telomerase-immortalized human lymphendothelial cell monolayers, which resembles intravasation in vivo and correlated the malignant phenotype with specific protein expression of lymphendothelial cells. [Br J Cancer]

Decreased Expression of BRCA1 in SK-BR-3 Cells Is the Result of Aberrant Activation of the GABP Beta Promoter by an NRF-1-Containing Complex
Results of this study suggest NRF-1 and GABP expression is coordinated by NRF-1’s activation of the GABPbeta promoter. Their linkage to BRCA1 implies a connection between the induction of mitochondrial metabolism and breast differentiation. [Mol Cancer]

Evidence for a Stromal-Epithelial “Lactate Shuttle” in Human Tumors: MCT4 Is a Marker of Oxidative Stress in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Results directly show that breast cancer cells specifically induce the expression of MCT4 in cancer-associated fibroblasts; MCF7 cells alone and fibroblasts alone, both failed to express MCT4. [Cell Cycle]

Molecular Profiling of a Lethal Tumor Microenvironment, as Defined by Stromal Caveolin-1 Status in Breast Cancers
To identify and characterize the signaling pathways that are activated in Cav-1 negative tumor stroma, scientists performed gene expression profiling using laser microdissected breast cancer-associated stroma. [Cell Cycle]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Beta-Blocker Use Is Associated with Improved Relapse-Free Survival in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
The purpose of this study is to examine the association between beta-blocker intake, pathologic complete response rates, and survival outcomes in patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [J Clin Oncol]

Beta Blockers and Breast Cancer Mortality: A Population-Based Study
A series of population-based observational studies were conducted to examine associations between beta blocker use and breast tumor characteristics at diagnosis or breast cancer–specific mortality. [J Clin Oncol]

Hedgehog Overexpression Is Associated with Stromal Interactions and Predicts for Poor Outcome in Breast Cancer
In a cohort of 279 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, expression of Hedgehog ligand was significantly associated with increased risk of metastasis, breast cancer-specific death, and a basal-like phenotype. [Cancer Res]

Tigris Pharmaceuticals Initiates Randomized Phase II Study of AFP-464 in ER-Positive Breast Cancer Patients
Tigris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced enrollment of its first patient in a randomized Phase II clinical trial of AFP-464 (aminoflavone prodrug) with or without Faslodex® (fulvestrant) in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer patients. [Tigris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press Release]

Agendia Announces Six Studies in Breast and Colon Cancer for Presentation at 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists
Agendia announced that it will present results from four completed and one ongoing study. [Agendia Press Release]

Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Funds 36 New Projects in FY 2011
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has completed its review of the 180 applications received in response to its three FY 2011 Requests for Applications. [Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund Press Release]

Flotte Elected to ASGCT Advisory Council
Terence R. Flotte, M.D., has been elected to a five-year term on the Advisory Council of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT). [University of Massachusetts Medical School Press Release]

UCSF School of Medicine Names Vice Dean of Education
Catherine Reinis Lucey, M.D., has been appointed vice dean for education in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, effective September 1. [University of California, San Francisco Press Release]

Lee W. Wattenberg, M.D., Receives the 2011 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Prevention Research
Lee W. Wattenberg, M.D., will receive the 2011 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Prevention Research for his role in launching the field of chemoprevention and his work to understand the potential mechanisms of action of chemopreventive compounds. [American Association for Cancer Research Press Release]

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

NEW World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress Asia 2011
October 11-13, 2011
Singapore, Singapore

NEW Cold Spring Harbor – Cell Death
October 11-15, 2011
Cold Spring Harbor, United States

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

Chemist (STEMCELL Technologies) 

Lab Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Senior Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Laboratory Project Scientist (University of California, San Diego)

Senior Research Assistant (MD Anderson Cancer Center) 

Post-doctoral Research Fellow (University of Ottawa)

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