Pancreatic Cell News Volume 1.07 | Jun 8 2010

TOP STORY

Consistent and Successful Islet Isolations Offer Diabetes Hope
Researchers have found a way to more consistently isolate pancreatic islet cells from brain dead donors using ductal injection. The islet isolation process resulted in the three type 1-diabetes patients who received islet cell transplants becoming insulin independent. [Press release from Medical News Today discussing online prepublication in Cell Transplantation]

La Jolla Institute Scientist Leads Team Which Discovers Important New Player in Diabetes Onset
Working in mouse models, researchers discovered that the ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 protein is essential for the beta cells of the pancreas to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. [Press release from La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation]

Circulating Tumor Cells Correlate with Poorer Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Investigators find that pancreatic cancer patients who have circulating tumor cells tend to have worse outcomes than patients without circulating tumor cells. [Press release from Fox Chase Cancer Center discussing research presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology]

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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

DIABETES

An Intracellular Role for ABCG1-Mediated Cholesterol Transport in the Regulated Secretory Pathway of Mouse Pancreatic Beta Cells
Islet ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) expression was reduced in diabetic mice and restored by thiazolidinediones, implicating a role for regulation of islet ABCG1 expression in diabetes pathogenesis and treatment. [J Clin Invest]

GLP-1 Inhibits and Adrenaline Stimulates Glucagon Release by Differential Modulation of N- and L-Type Ca2+ Channel-Dependent Exocytosis
Researchers propose that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibits glucagon secretion by PKA-dependent inhibition of the N-type Ca2+ channels via a small increase in intracellular cAMP. [Cell Metab]

Mesenchymal BMP Signaling Is Required for Normal Pancreas Development
Endogenous BMP signaling is confined to the mesenchyme in the early pancreas and inhibition of BMP signaling results in severe pancreatic hypoplasia with reduced epithelial branching. [Diabetes]

Induction of Chimerism Permits Low-Dose Islet Grafts in the Liver or Pancreas to Reverse Refractory Autoimmune Diabetes
Induction of chimerism not only provides immune tolerance to donor islets, but also markedly reduces the required amount of donor islets for reversal of diabetes. [Diabetes]

Increased Beta Cell Mass by Islet Transplantation and PLAG1 Overexpression Causes Hyperinsulinemic Normoglycemia and Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Mice
Researchers demonstrate that when excess beta cells are grafted, insulin production on a per beta cell basis is not sufficiently decreased, leading to hyperinsulinemia and hepatic insulin resistance. [Diabetes]

Seven Consecutive Successful Clinical Islet Isolations with Pancreatic Ductal Injection
Ductal injection significantly improved quantity and quality of isolated islets and resulted in high success rate of clinical islet transplantation. [Cell Transplant]

Delineating Biological Pathways Unique to Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Insulin-Producing Cell Lines from Their Noninsulin-Producing Progenitor Cell Lines
Gene expression analysis has identified the pentose phosphate pathway, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway as the major delineating pathways in embryonic stem cell-derived insulin-producing cell lines, and their biological relevance was confirmed by biochemical and cellular assays. [Endocrinology]

c-Kit and Stem Cell Factor Regulate PANC-1 Cell Differentiation Into Insulin- and Glucagon-Producing Cells
Results show that c-Kit/stem cell factor interactions are involved in mediating islet-like cluster formation and islet-like cell differentiation in a human pancreatic duct cell line (PANC-1). [Lab Invest]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Immunogenicity of SEREX-Identified Antigens and Disease Outcome in Pancreatic Cancer
Applying the concept of cancer immunoediting to interpret relationships between gene expression, antitumor immune responses, and clinical outcome might better discriminate between past and ongoing immune responses, consequently enabling prognostic stratification of patients and individual adjustment of immunotherapy. [Cancer Immunol Immunother]

Identification of a Novel Putative Pancreatic Stem/Progenitor Cell Marker DCAMKL-1 in Normal Mouse Pancreas
The data suggest that DCAMKL-1 is a novel putative stem/progenitor marker, can be used to isolate normal pancreatic stem/progenitors, and potentially regenerate pancreatic tissues. [Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol]

MEK1 and MEK2 Isoforms Regulate Distinct Functions in Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) expression was an effective and specific approach to inhibit cell proliferation and induce G0/G1 arrest. On the other hand, MEK2 knockdown specially altered cell morphology and inhibited the invasive ability of pancreatic cancer cells. [Oncol Rep]

INDUSTRY NEWS

ForestLaboratories and TransTech Pharma Enter Into License Agreement for the Development and Commercialization of Glucokinase Activators with Deal Valued at Up to $1.105 Billion
TransTech Pharma, Inc. and Forest Laboratories, Inc. announced that TransTech Pharma and Forest Laboratories Holdings Limited have entered into a license agreement for the development and commercialization of functionally liver-selective Glucokinase Activators, which represent a novel class of glucose-lowering agents for the treatment of diabetes. [TransTech Pharma, Inc. Press Release]

University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic Sign Research Pact with Karolinska
The University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic, under the mantle of the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, have formed a strategic research relationship with the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm, Sweden. Leaders of each institution signed memoranda of understanding to commit to the formal ongoing collaboration, called the Frontiers of Biomedical Research. [Mayo Clinic Press Release]

New Genomic Cancer Care Alliance Formed to Study Whole-Genome Sequencing in Cancer Treatment
Life Technologies Corporation announced the creation of the Genomic Cancer Care Alliance to help people battling cancer gain access to treatment options found through analysis of their genomic information. [Life Technologies Corporation Press Release]

The New York Stem Cell Foundation Awards Fellowships to Eight Innovative Stem Cell Scientists
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) announced the award of eight new NYSCF-Druckenmiller Fellows. [The New York Stem Cell Foundation Press Release]

NewLink Genetics’ HyperAcute® Immunotherapy Phase II Study Shows Promise in Disease Free and Overall Survival for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
NewLink Genetics Corporation announced positive Phase II clinical trial data of its HyperAcute®-Pancreas cancer immunotherapy combined with standard adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with surgically resectable pancreatic cancer. [PR Newswire]

New AMG 479 Phase II Data Show Antitumor Activity in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Amgen announced results from a small, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II study indicating that adding AMG 479 to gemcitabine improved overall survival at six months and progression-free survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. [Amgen, Inc. Press Release]

Pivotal Phase III Trial of Novartis Drug Afinitor® Met Primary Endpoint in Study of Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Novartis announced that a Phase III study of Afinitor® (everolimus) tablets plus best supportive care met its primary endpoint, showing the drug significantly extended progression-free survival, or time without tumor growth, in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. [Novartis AG Press Release]

Sernova Presents Cell Pouch System Preclinical Results at the American Society of Internal Artificial Organs
Sernova Corp. announced that Dr. David White, chair of Sernova’s Scientific Advisory Board, is presenting results from a key porcine diabetes study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Cell Pouch System™. [Sernova Corp. Press Release]

WILEX Presents Positive Final Phase II Data of MESUPRON® in Pancreatic Cancer
WILEX AG presented final data from the clinical Phase II trial with the oral drug candidate MESUPRON® in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent Gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer patients. [WILEX AG Press Release]

Immunomedics Reports Updated Results of Targeted Therapy for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Immunomedics, Inc. announced that its proprietary antibody, clivatuzumab tetraxetan, labeled with yttrium-90 plus low-dose gemcitabine continues to produce promising efficacy results in patients with previously untreated, inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. [Immunomedics, Inc. Press Release]

BSD Medical Reports Impressive Results from Clinical Study on Pancreatic Cancer Presented at European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology 2010 Meeting
BSD Medical Corporation reported impressive results from a clinical study on the use of hyperthermia, delivered using the BSD-2000 Hyperthermia System, to treat pancreatic cancer. [BSD Medical Corporation Press Release]

Baylor Health Care System and the City of Dallas Join Efforts to Fight Diabetes in South Dallas
Baylor Health Care System announced the opening of a new Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute in an underserved community in South Dallas that it believes will ultimately influence the way diabetes is treated and prevented around the country. [PR Newswire]

POLICY NEWS

Obama Nominates Suresh to Lead NSF
President Barack Obama has chosen Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Dean Subra Suresh to be the next director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). [National Science Foundation, United States]

Treasury Releases New Guidance for Tax Credit in Affordable Care Act to Support Groundbreaking Biomedical Research
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the guidelines for applying for the new Therapeutic Discovery Project Program created by the Affordable Care Act. [Department of the Treasury, United States]

STAR METRICS: New Way to Measure the Impact of Federally Funded Research
A new initiative, Science and Technology for America’s Reinvestment: Measuring the Effect of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and Science, or STAR METRICS, promises to monitor the impact of federal science investments on employment, knowledge generation, and health outcomes. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

2010 Biological License Application Approvals [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

2010 Biological Device Application Approvals [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association
June 25-29, 2010
Orlando, United States

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

United Kingdom National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) Third Annual Scientific Conference
July 12-14, 2010
Nottingham, United Kingdom

2010 World Cancer Congress
August 18-21, 2010
Shenzhen, China

Select Biosciences Inaugural Cellular Therapy Summit
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Meeting – Advancing the Life Sciences
September 4-7, 2010
Barcelona, Spain

The Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (AUGIS) 2010 Scientific Meeting 
September 9-10, 2010
Oxford, United Kingdom

Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010
September 13-15, 2010
Philadelphia, United States 

Annual Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) World Congress
September 19-23, 2010
Sydney, Australia

Institute of Medicine – University of Illinois at Chicago Midwest Conference on Diabetes and Obesity
September 21, 2010
Chicago, United States

35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress
October 8-12, 2010
Milan, Italy

Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium 2010
October 29-30, 2010
Leipzig, Germany

2010 American Pancreatic Association (APA) Annual Meeting
November 3-6, 2010
Chicago, United States

Select Biosciences International Forum on Stem Cells
November 12-13, 2010
Tianjin, China

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

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