Mammary Cell News Volume 9.12 | Mar 30 2017

TOP STORY

LACTB Is a Tumor Suppressor That Modulates Lipid Metabolism and Cell State

The authors hypothesized that the gene expression profiles of differentiated cells could reveal the identities of genes that may function as tumor suppressors. They showed, using in vitro and in vivo studies in mice and humans, that the mitochondrial protein LACTB potently inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells. [Nature] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

LABORATORY RESEARCH

PI3K Pathway Regulates ER-Dependent Transcription in Breast Cancer through the Epigenetic Regulator KMT2D

Scientists investigated the chromatin-based mechanisms leading to the activation of estrogen receptor (ER) upon phosphoinositide-(3)-kinase α (PI3Kα) inhibition. They found that PI3Kα inhibition mediates an open chromatin state at the ER target loci in breast cancer models and clinical samples. [Science] Abstract | Press Release

Profiling Protein Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells Using Microfluidic Western Blotting

Protein profiling of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) would complement recent advances in enumeration, transcriptomic and genomic characterization of these rare cells and help define their characteristics. The authors describe a microfluidic western blot for an eight-plex protein panel for individual CTCs derived from estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

The Par3 Polarity Protein Is an Exocyst Receptor Essential for Mammary Cell Survival

The Par3 polarity protein associates with tight junctions but has no known function in membrane traffic. Scientists showed that Par3 is essential for mammary cell survival. Par3 silencing caused apoptosis, triggered by phosphoinositide trisphosphate depletion and decreased Akt phosphorylation, resulting from failure of the exocyst to deliver basolateral proteins to the cortex. [Nat Commun] Full Article

E3 Ubiquitin Ligase UBR5 Drives the Growth and Metastasis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Researchers report a distinctive and profound role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR5 in the growth and metastasis of triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). An analysis of primary TNBC specimen by whole exon sequencing revealed strong gene amplifications of UBR5 associated with the disease. [Cancer Res] Abstract

Kaiso Depletion Attenuates the Growth and Survival of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

The authors report that Kaiso depletion attenuated triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) cell proliferation, and delayed tumor onset in mice xenografted with the aggressive MDA-231 breast tumor cells. They demonstrated that Kaiso depletion attenuates the survival of TNBC cells and increases their propensity for apoptotic-mediated cell death. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

WT1 Expression in Breast Cancer Disrupts the Epithelial/Mesenchymal Balance of Tumor Cells and Correlates with the Metabolic Response to Docetaxel

Investigators provide a complete study of WT1 expression across different breast cancer subtypes as well as isoform specific expression analysis. Using in vitro cell lines, clinical samples and publicly available gene expression datasets, they demonstrated that WT1 plays a role in regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal balance of breast cancer cells and that WT1-expressing tumors are mainly associated with a mesenchymal phenotype. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Antiproliferative Effects of Ruthenium-Based Nucleolipidic Nanoaggregates in Human Models of Breast Cancer In Vitro: Insights into Their Mode of Action

Researchers recently developed a novel approach for the in vivo delivery of Ru(III) complexes, preparing stable ruthenium-based nucleolipidic nanoaggregates endowed with significant antiproliferative activity. Herein they describe the cellular response to their ruthenium-containing formulations in selected models of human breast cancer. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Synergistic Targeting of Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells by Human γδ T Cells and CD8⁺ T Cells

To help develop novel immunotherapy approaches that efficiently target cancer stem cells (CSCs), an experimental model allowing reliable distinction of CSCs and non-CSCs was set up to study their interaction with non-MHC restricted γδ T cells and antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells. The findings identify a powerful synergism between MHC-restricted and non-MHC restricted T cells in the eradication of cancer cells including breast CSCs. [Immunol Cell Biol] Full Article

Physiologically Activated Mammary Fibroblasts Promote Postpartum Mammary Cancer

To investigate the role of mammary fibroblasts, isolated mammary PDGFRα⁺ cells from nulliparous and postweaning mice were assessed for activation phenotype and protumorigenic function. The ability of mammary tumors to grow in an isogenic, orthotopic transplant model was increased when tumor cells were coinjected with involution-derived compared with nulliparous-derived mammary fibroblasts. [JCI Insight] Full Article

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Phase I Trial of Everolimus and Capecitabine in Metastatic Her-2 Negative Breast Cancer

Researchers evaluated the safety and tolerability of an all-oral combination of everolimus and capecitabine in metastatic breast cancer. The all-oral regimen of everolimus with capecitabine was active, well tolerated, and provided encouraging results for progression free survival, overall survival, and clinical benefit rate. [Clin Breast Cancer] Abstract

Mechanisms Governing Metastatic Dormancy in Breast Cancer

As metastasis is the primary cause for breast cancer-related death, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of dormancy and dormancy escape to find druggable targets to eradicate metastatic tumor cells. Metastatic dormancy is regulated by complex interactions between tumor cells and the local microenvironment. [Semin Cancer Biol] Abstract

Mechanisms of Resistance to Selective Estrogen Receptor Down-Regulator in Metastatic Breast Cancer

The authors focus on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to fulvestrant resistance in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer and provide an overview of combined fulvestrant with targeted agents to shed light on optimal therapies for patients with ER-positive breast cancer. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the mammary cell research field.

BioPharmX Poster Will Present Findings Suggesting Molecular Iodine Inhibits Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Drives Cancer Cell Death

BioPharmX Corporation will share early preclinical research that suggests potent anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of molecular iodine on two types of breast cancer cell lines. [Press release from BioPharmX Corporation discussing research to be presented at the 2017 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.] Press Release

Bezos Family Gives $35 Million to Fred Hutch

Fred Hutch’s quest for cures was propelled forward with a $35 million gift from the Bezos family. It is the single largest philanthropic commitment to Fred Hutch in the center’s 41-year history. [Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center] Press Release

David Livingston, MD, of Dana-Farber, Wins Major Cancer Research Award

David M. Livingston, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has won a major award for discoveries in cancer research from the American Association for Cancer Research. [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] Press Release

GeneNews Launches Blood-Based, Biomarker Test for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

GeneNews Limited announced the launch of BreastSentry™, a new risk stratification test for breast cancer, via its Virginia-based clinical reference lab, Innovative Diagnostics Laboratory. BreastSentry incorporates a blood-based biomarker test with a sophisticated algorithm to determine a woman’s five-year and lifetime risk for developing breast cancer. [GeneNews Limited (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Trump Wants 2018 NIH Cut to Come From Overhead Payments

The Trump administration could slash $5.8 billion from the 2018 budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), yet still fund as least as much research by eliminating overhead payments to universities and research institutions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price told lawmakers. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

European Commission Considering Leap into Open-Access Publishing

One of Europe’s biggest science spenders could soon branch out into publishing. The European Commission, which spends more than €10 billion annually on research, may follow two other big league funders, the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and set up a “publishing platform” for the scientists it funds, in an attempt to accelerate the transition to open-access publishing in Europe. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Protein Aggregation in Health and Disease
June 11-16, 2017
Steamboat Springs, United States

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

NEW Bioinformatics Scientist – Breast Cancer (Windber Research Institute)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Genetics, Genomics and Informatics (The University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Breast Cancer Stem Cell (University of Kentucky)

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Metastatic Breast Cancer (Purdue University)

Research Assistant/Associate – Breast Cancer Biology (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Breast Cancer Research (Georgetown University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Breast Cancer (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Research Scholar – Breast Tumor Growth (University of Iowa)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Proteoglycans (Thomas Jefferson University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Research (Houston Methodist Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Breast Cancer (Tufts University School of Medicine)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Breast Cancer (Roswell Park Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Associate – Mammary Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (University of Miami)

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