Mammary Cell News Volume 7.34 | Sep 3 2015

Distinct EMT Programs Control Normal Mammary Stem Cells and Tumor-Initiating Cells
Using genetically engineered knock-in reporter mouse lines, investigators showed that normal gland-reconstituting mammary stem cells residing in the basal layer of the mammary epithelium and breast tumor-initiating cells originating in the luminal layer exploit the paralogous epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factor Slug and Snail, respectively, which induce distinct EMT programs. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release

Adaptive Immune Regulation of Mammary Postnatal Organogenesis
Investigators showed that adaptive immune responses participate in the normal postnatal development of a non-lymphoid epithelial tissue. They found that antigen-mediated interactions between mammary antigen-presenting cells and interferon-γ-producing CD4⁺ T helper 1 cells participate in mammary gland postnatal organogenesis as negative regulators, locally orchestrating epithelial rearrangement. [Dev Cell]
Abstract | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

Ethnicity-Dependent and -Independent Heterogeneity in Healthy Normal Breast Hierarchy Impacts Tumor Characterization
The authors report the remarkable inter-individual differences in differentiation capabilities as documented by phenotypic heterogeneity in stem-progenitor-mature cell hierarchy of the normal breast. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Physicochemical and Biological Characterization of Chitosan-MicroRNA Nanocomplexes for Gene Delivery to MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells
Researchers investigated the physicochemical/biophysical properties of chitosan–hsa-microRNA-145 nanocomplexes and the biological responses of MCF-7 breast cancer cells cultured in vitro. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Activation of RARα Induces Autophagy in SKBR3 Breast Cancer Cells and Depletion of Key Autophagy Genes Enhances ATRA Toxicity
The authors tested if autophagy is activated by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in mammary tumor cells and if modulation of autophagy might be a potential novel treatment strategy. ATRA induced autophagic flux in ATRA-sensitive but not in ATRA-resistant human breast cancer cells. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Apoptosis Induction in Human Breast Cancer (MCF-7) Cells by a Novel Venom L-Amino Acid Oxidase (Rusvinoxidase) Is Independent of Its Enzymatic Activity and Is Accompanied by Caspase-7 Activation and Reactive Oxygen Species Production
Researchers report the elucidation of a mechanism of apoptosis induction in breast cancer cells by an L-amino acid oxidase, rusvinoxidase, purified from the venom of Daboia russelii russelii. [Apoptosis] Abstract

Reversal of Efflux of an Anticancer Drug in Human Drug-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells by Inhibition of Protein Kinase Cα (PKCα) Activity
PKCα activity was confirmed by measurement of phosphorylation levels of a PKCα-specific peptide substrate, showing relatively higher basal activity in drug-resistant MCF-7/ADR cells than that in drug-sensitive MCF-7 cells. [Tumor Biol] Abstract

Gene Expression Signatures of Breast Cancer Stem and Progenitor Cells Do Not Exhibit Features of Warburg Metabolism
While benign stem/progenitor cells exhibited few significant inter-group differences in expression of genes involved in hypoxia regulation or glucose metabolism, breast cancer stem/progenitor cells demonstrated significant inter-group variability. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Differential Ratios of Omega Fatty Acids (AA/EPA⁺DHA) Modulate Growth, Lipid Peroxidation and Expression of Tumor Regulatory MARBPs in Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231
Investigators determined whether different ratios of n6/n3 (AA/EPA⁺DHA) fatty acids could modulate the cell viability, lipid peroxidation, total cellular fatty acid composition and expression of tumor regulatory matrix attachment region binding proteins (MARBPs) in breast cancer cell lines and in non-cancerous, MCF10A cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Clinical and Translational Results of a Phase II, Randomized Trial of an Anti-IGF-1R (Cixutumumab) in Women with Breast Cancer that Progressed on Endocrine Therapy
This Phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of cixutumumab, a human anti-insulin-like growth factor-receptor 1 (IGF-1R) monoclonal IgG1 antibody, and explored potential biomarkers in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract

Metformin Intervention in Obese Non-Diabetic Patients with Breast Cancer: Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of metformin for controlling physical and metabolic profiles related to prognosis and adverse events in non-diabetic breast cancer patients. [Breast Cancer Res Treat] Abstract

The Role of MicroRNAs in the Chemoresistance of Breast Cancer
The authors summarize the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in chemoresistance through multiple molecular mechanisms, and highlight the potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications of miRNAs in overcoming breast cancer chemoresistance. [Drug Dev Res] Abstract

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The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and the Structural Genomics Consortium Develop and Give Away New Drug-Like Molecule to Help Crowd-Source Cancer Research.
Researchers from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and the Structural Genomics Consortium at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto have developed a new drug prototype called OICR-9429 and made it freely available to the research community. Already research conducted by international groups using OICR-9429 has shown it to be effective in stopping cancer cell growth in breast cancer cell lines and a specific subtype of leukemia cells. [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research ] Press Release

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Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Metastatic Breast Cancer (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Proteomic, Glycomic and Autoantibody Biomarkers of Cancer (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Biology (National Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer Biology (Northwestern University)

Postdoctoral Position – Inflammation & Breast Tumor Metastasis (Stephenson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Research (National University of Singapore)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Breast Stem Cell Biology (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine)

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