Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.05 | Feb 8 2011

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Evolution Led to Genetic Variation That May Affect Diabetes, Scientist Says
Researchers have identified genetic variations in a hormone involved in the secretion of insulin that occur more frequently in some human populations than others. [Press release from Stanford University School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Diabetes]

DIABETES

Identification of Metabolic Modifiers That Underlie Phenotypic Variations in Energy-Balance Regulation
This proof-of-concept study indicates that common regulatory GIP variants impart a difference in glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucose metabolism. The study also provides a rare example that identified the common variant-common phenotypic variation pattern based on evidence of moderate gene–environmental interactions. [Diabetes]

Retinoic Acid-Inducible Protein I- and MDA5-Initiated Innate Immunity Linked with Adaptive Immunity Accelerates Beta Cell Death in Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes
Findings demonstrate the presence of specific innate immune responses to enterovirus infection connected with enhanced adoptive immune pathways responsible for aggressive beta cell toxicity in fulminant type 1 diabetes. [Diabetes]
 
Chronic Methylglyoxal Infusion by Minipump Causes Pancreatic Beta Cell Dysfunction and Induces Type 2 Diabetes in Sprague-Dawley Rats
In pancreatic beta cells, methylglyoxal (MG) and MG + L-buthionine sulfoximine reduced insulin secretion, pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1, MafA, GLUT-2, and glucokinase expression; increased C/EBP(beta), nuclear factor-kappaB, MG-induced AGE, N(epsilon)-carboxymeythyllysine, and receptor for advanced glycation end products expression; and caused apoptosis. [Diabetes]

Glucose Metabolism-Related Protein 1 (GMRP1) Regulates Pancreatic Beta Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis via Activation of Akt Signaling Pathway in Rats and Mice
Overproduction of GMRP1 promoted beta cell proliferation via increased phosphorylation of Akt. Knockdown of Gmrp1 (also known as Btbd10) reduced phosphorylation of Akt with enhanced beta cell apoptosis. [Diabetologia]

Cellular Hypoxia of Pancreatic Beta Cells Due to High Levels of Oxygen Consumption for Insulin Secretion In Vitro
Researchers examined the effect of insulin secretion on cellular oxygen tension in vitro. [J Biol Chem]

ATF2 Interacts with Beta Cell-Enriched Transcription Factors, MafA, Pdx1, and Beta2, and Activates Insulin Gene Transcription
Data indicate that ATF2 is an essential component of the positive regulators of the insulin gene expression. [J Biol Chem]

Endothelial Cells in Co-Culture Enhance Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation to Pancreatic Progenitors and Insulin-Producing Cells Through BMP Signaling
Results indicate that the differentiation of embryoid bodies to pancreatic progenitors and insulin-producing cells can be enhanced by endothelial cells in vitro and that bone morphogenetic protein pathway activation is central to this process. [Stem Cell Rev]

Essential Role of Clusterin in Pancreas Regeneration
Researchers suggest that clusterin plays a critical role to promote both exocrine and endocrine regeneration following pancreas injury, as well as for in vitro beta cell regeneration. [Dev Dyn]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Pancreatic Cancer Cells Respond to Type I Collagen by Inducing Snail Expression to Promote Membrane Type 1-Matrix Metalloproteinase Dependent Collagen Invasion
Data demonstrate that pancreatic cancer cells increase Snail on encountering collagen-rich milieu, and suggest that the desmoplastic reaction actively contributes to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression. [J Biol Chem]

Context Dependence of Checkpoint Kinase 1 as a Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Cancers Deficient in the BRCA2 Tumor Suppressor
Researchers established an RNA interference screen to identify genes whose depletion selectively inhibits the growth of cells lacking BRCA2, and then studied the effects of the genetic depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of one candidate, the checkpoint kinase CHK1, in the context of pancreatic cancer. [Mol Cancer Ther]

Slug Enhances Invasion Ability of Pancreatic Cancer Cells Through Upregulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Actin Cytoskeleton Remodeling
Results suggest that Slug promotes migration and invasion of PANC-1 cells, which may correlate with the reorganization of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and remodeling of the F-actin cytoskeleton, but not with E-cadherin expression. [Lab Invest]

Lilly and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Partner to Fund Regenerative Medicine Research in Type 1 Diabetes
Eli Lilly and Company and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation announced that they have signed an agreement to fund early-stage research that could enable patients with type 1 diabetes to regenerate insulin-producing cells destroyed by the disease. [Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Press Release]

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Announces New Initiative to Double the Survival Rate for Pancreatic Cancer Patients by 2020
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is leading the way to increase the survival rates of people with this devastating disease by announcing The Vision of Progress: Double the Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by 2020. The organization is doubling its efforts to raise awareness, support patients and intensify advocacy for a national research strategy dedicated to finding a cure by undertaking this bold new initiative.  [Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Press Release]

Kaiser Permanente Southern California Awarded More Than $3 Million from CDC for Research in Childhood Diabetes
The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation has been awarded more than $3 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study for an additional five years, to 2015. [Kaiser Permanente Press Release]

Grant Bolsters Pancreatic Cancer Research
Stephen Fesik, Ph.D., professor of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Chemistry, has received a $2.5 million grant to fund research on drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The three-year award from the Lustgarten Foundation will support Fesik’s work on targeting K-Ras, a protein that is mutated in 90 percent of pancreatic cancer patients. [Vanderbilt University Medical Center Press Release]

Sanofi-aventis Announces Positive Top-Line Lixisenatide Phase III Results
Sanofi-aventis announced that lixisenatide once-daily achieved primary efficacy endpoint and fewer hypoglycemias vs. exenatide twice daily. [Sanofi-aventis Press Release]

Clavis Pharma’s CP-4126 Enters New Phase II Clinical Trial in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Refractory to First Line Gemcitabine Therapy
Clavis Pharma, the Norwegian cancer drug development company, announces that its partner, Clovis Oncology, Inc., has recruited the first patient into a Phase II clinical study (CO-101-003 study) with CP-4126 (also known as CO-101). [Clavis Pharma Press Release]

Avandia (Rosiglitazone): REMS – Risk of Cardiovascular Events
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified healthcare professionals and patients that information has been added to the physician labeling and patient Medication Guide regarding the cardiovascular risks of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia). [American Diabetes Association Press Release]

New Diabetes Research Training Scheme for GPs
Diabetes UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners have joined forces to launch a diabetes research training scheme for GPs. [Diabetes UK Press Release]

Diabetes UK Responds to NHS Reforms
In a letter to The Times newspaper, Diabetes UK joined other leading health charities to call on MPs to make crucial changes to ensure the National Health Service (NHS) will be answerable to everyone it serves. [National Health Service, United Kingdom]

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)

National Health Service (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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

Lab Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies)

Lab Technologist – Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies)

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Postdoctoral Positions – Stem Cell Biology (Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Stem Cell Institute)

Field Applications Specialist – Cell Therapy (Medical) (Pall Corporation)

Assistant Professor (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering)

Postdoctoral Scientist (University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences)

Chief, Division of Endocrinology (University of Florida/Shands)

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Diabetes/Cardiovascular Disease (Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology – Diabetes (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Position in Biology (Inserm)

Postdoctoral Research Assistant (Queen Mary University of London)
 
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Ontario Cancer Institute of University Health Network)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Medical College of Wisconsin)

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