Mammary Cell News Volume 3.32 | Aug 18 2011

Common Class of Pain Drugs Reduces Severity of Postpartum Breast Cancers
Scientists report that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including ibuprofen reduce the severity of postpartum breast cancers in animal models. [Press release from the University of Colorado Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Researchers Say Breast Cancer Directly Blocks Antitumor Functions of NK Cells
The progression of breast cancer is associated with mechanisms that inhibit the antitumor activity of the immune system’s natural killer (NK) cells, researchers claim. [Press release from Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation]

Higher Estrogen Production in the Breast Could Confer Greater Cancer Risk than Thought
Researchers discover in mice that a higher level of aromatase in breast tissue is more dangerous than excess production of estrogen receptors. [Press release from Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Cancer Research]

Blood Vessels Participate in the Eradication of Tumors
For the first time, very specific blood vessels have been discovered in tumors. These vessels facilitate the access of killer lymphocytes into tumor tissues and thus lead to the efficient destruction of tumors. [Press release from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique discussing online prepublication in Cancer Research]

Childbearing May Increase Risk of Hormone Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer in African-American Women
African-American women are at higher risk for hormone receptor-negative breast cancer but this risk could be ameliorated somewhat by breast-feeding their children. [Press release from the American Association for Cancer Research discussing online prepublication in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention]

New Drug Tested for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers
A trial of a new drug for patients with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer at an advanced stage has been launched at the University of Oxford. [University of Oxford Press Release]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

Postpartum Mammary Gland Involution Drives Progression of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Through Collagen and COX-2
Here scientists describe a mouse model of postpartum breast cancer that identifies mammary gland involution as a driving force of tumor progression. [Nat Med]

Human Breast Cancer Cells Enhance Self Tolerance by Promoting Evasion from NK Cell Antitumor Immunity
Here, researchers show that dysfunction of NK cells accompanies human breast tumor progression. [J Clin Invest]

Molecular Serum Portraits in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer Predict the Development of Distant Metastases
Using a recently developed recombinant antibody microarray platform containing 135 antibodies against 65 mainly immunoregulatory proteins, scientists screened 240 sera from 64 patients with primary breast cancer. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Comparison of Increased Aromatase Versus ERα in the Generation of Mammary Hyperplasia and Cancer
Here, investigators developed a transgenic mouse that conditionally expresses aromatase in the mammary gland, and used it along with a deregulated estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression model to investigate the molecular pathways involved in the development of mammary gland preneoplasia and carcinoma. [Cancer Res]

Human Solid Tumors Contain High Endothelial Venules: Association with T- and B-Lymphocyte Infiltration and Favorable Prognosis in Breast Cancer
In this article, scientists report the presence of MECA 79⁺ blood vessels displaying all the phenotypic characteristics of high endothelial venules in most of the 319 human primary solid tumors, including melanomas, breast, ovarian, colon, and lung carcinomas, analyzed. [Cancer Res]

Sox2 Expression in Breast Tumors and Activation in Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Expression of pluripotency genes (Oct4, Nanog and Sox2) was tested in breast tumors by immunohistochemistry and it was found that Sox2 is expressed in early stage breast tumors. [Oncogene]

Epithelial Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) Contributes to the Induction of Mammary Tumors by HER2/Neu but is not Essential for Tumor Maintenance
Researchers found that mammary-specific deletion of PTP1B delays the onset of HER2/Neu-evoked mammary tumors, establishing a cell autonomous role for PTP1B in such neoplasms. [Mol Cancer Res]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Common Breast Cancer Susceptibility Loci Are Associated with Triple Negative Breast Cancer
In the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Consortium, 22 common breast cancer susceptibility variants were investigated in 2,980 Caucasian women with triple negative breast cancer and 4,978 healthy controls. [Cancer Res]

Parity and Lactation in Relation to Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancer in African American Women
Researchers assessed the relation of parity and lactation to incidence of estrogen receptor (ER)⁻/progesterone receptor (PR)⁻ and ER⁺/PR⁺ breast cancer in a cohort of African American women. [Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev]

CD44⁺/CD24^−/Low Cancer Stem/Progenitor Cells Are More Abundant in Triple-Negative Invasive Breast Carcinoma Phenotype and Are Associated with Poor Outcome
In the present study, investigators evaluated tumor specimens of 50 breast cancer patients with known hormone receptor status for whom they had follow-up information and outcome data available, and performed immunohistochemistry analysis to determine CD44 and CD24 expression. [Hum Pathol]

TapImmune to Sponsor Phase I Breast Cancer Vaccine Trial Following Recent FDA Approval of Investigational New Drug Application
TapImmune Inc. announced that following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Investigational New Drug Application approval, it will sponsor a Phase I HER-2/neu targeted therapeutic vaccine trial in HER-2/neu positive breast cancer patients at the Mayo Clinic. [TapImmune Inc. Press Release]

RXi Pharmaceuticals Provides Update and Reports Financial Results for Q2 2011
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. [RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation Press Release]

Sanford Health Announces Turning Point in Crusade Against Breast Cancer
Sanford Health announced the launch of Edith Sanford Breast Cancer (ESBC). With a focus on research and care, and by utilizing a grassroots network, ESBC aims to decode the genetic make-up of every woman. [Sanford Health 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 International Society for Cell Therapy North American Regional Meeting
September 15-16, 2011
Charlottesville, United States

NEW American Association for Cancer Research: Translational Cancer Research for Basic Scientists
October 30-November 4, 2011
Boston, United States

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

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies)

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Contract Assay Service Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Post-Doctoral Position (Michigan State University)

Post-Doctoral Scientists (North Carolina Central University)

Post-Doctoral Training Fellow – Study of Tankyrase Biology (The Institute of Cancer Research)

Higher Scientific Officer (The Institute of Cancer Research)

Post-Doctoral Fellow (Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend)

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