Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.13 | Apr 5 2011

Scientists Identify Key Trigger for Pancreatic Beta Cell Regeneration
Researchers have identified a key signal that prompts existing insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas to form new beta cells in mice, a breakthrough discovery that may ultimately help researchers find ways to restore or increase beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. [Press release from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International discussing online prepublication in Cell Metabolism]

Findings May Help Keep Pancreatic Disease Off the Menu
Results showed that there is a refined mechanism that the pancreas switches on to avoid the progression of acute pancreatitis to a lethal condition. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing research presented at Experimental Biology 2011]

Preclinical Studies in Pancreatic Cancer and Melanoma Demonstrated ADI-PEG 20 Works Synergistically with Inhibitors of Autophagy
Polaris Group announced that data from preclinical studies of ADI-PEG 20, the Company’s pegylated arginine deiminase therapeutic, is synergistic with hydroxychloroquine in a human pancreatic cancer cell line and with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in human melanoma cell lines. [Press release from PR Newswire discussing research presented at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research]

DIABETES

Control of Pancreatic β Cell Regeneration by Glucose Metabolism
Using islet transplantation experiments, researchers show that β cell mass is controlled systemically rather than by local factors such as tissue damage. [Cell Metab]

Permanent Protection of PLG Scaffold Transplanted Allogeneic Islet Grafts in Diabetic Mice Treated with ECDI-Fixed Donor Splenocyte Infusions
This study examined this technology in allogeneic islet transplantation and determined whether transplant tolerance could be effectively induced to protect PLG scaffold transplanted allogeneic islets. [Biomaterials]

Immobilization of Soluble Complement Receptor 1 on Islets
Human soluble complement receptor 1 was immobilized on the pancreatic islet of Langerhans cell surface through poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phospholipid without loss of islet cell viability or insulin secretion ability. [Biomaterials]

Differential Regulation of Adaptive and Apoptotic Unfolded Protein Response Signaling by Cytokine-Induced Nitric Oxide Production in Mouse Pancreatic Beta Cells
Researchers tested the role of nitric oxide in cytokine-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the subsequent unfolded protein response in beta cells. [Diabetologia]

Elutriated Stem Cells Derived from the Adult Bone Marrow Differentiate into Insulin Producing Cells In Vivo and Reverse Chemical Diabetes
Researchers examined the possibility that adult bone marrow cells participate in recovery from chemical diabetes through neogenesis of insulin producing cells. [Stem Cells Dev]

Visfatin Inhibits Apoptosis of Pancreatic β-Cell Line, MIN6, via the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase/Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Pathway
This study investigated the protective effects of visfatin on palmitate-induced islet β cell apoptosis in the clonal mouse pancreatic β cell line MIN6. [J Mol Endocrinol]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Stat3 and MMP7 Contribute to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Initiation and Progression
Using a Kras-driven mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), researchers establish that the inflammatory mediator Stat3 is a critical component of spontaneous and pancreatitis-accelerated PDA precursor formation and supports cell proliferation, metaplasia-associated inflammation, and MMP7 expression during neoplastic development. [Cancer Cell]

Endogenous Myc Maintains the Tumor Microenvironment
Researchers show that inhibition of endogenous Myc also triggers ubiquitous regression of tumors in a simian virus 40-driven pancreatic islet tumor model. [Genes Dev]

Intracellular Activation of Trypsinogen in Transgenic Mice Induces Acute But Not Chronic Pancreatitis
Intra-acinar activation of trypsinogen is sufficient to initiate acute pancreatitis. However, the primary response to intracellular trypsin activity is rapid induction of acinar cell death via apoptosis which facilitates resolution of the acute inflammation rather than causing chronic pancreatitis. [Gut]

Type I Interferons as Radiosensitisers for Pancreatic Cancer
Type I interferons have radiosensitising effects in pancreatic cancer cell lines. This radiosensitising property might lead to an improved response to treatment in pancreatic cancer. [Eur J Cancer]

Vertex and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics to Collaborate on Discovery and Development of New Medicines to Treat the Underlying Cause of Cystic Fibrosis
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. announced they will collaborate on the continued discovery and development of new medicines known as correctors that aim to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in people with the most common form of the disease. [Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Press Release]

UCSD Scientists Receive Prestigious Hartwell Biomedical Research Awards
Three scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine are among this year’s 12 winners of Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards, honoring researchers whose work advances children’s health. [University of California, San Diego Press Release]

American Diabetes Association Launches Diabetes 24/7
The American Diabetes Association is pleased to announce the launch of Diabetes 24/7, a new online application using personal health records that will allow people living with diabetes to manage their condition and share valuable health information with others on their care team. [American Diabetes Association Press Release]

Roche Diabetes Care in the U.S. Turns to Social Media to Promote Diabetes Education, Awareness and Advocacy
Roche Diabetes Care, makers of ACCU-CHEK® products and services, has launched dedicated Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote diabetes education, awareness and advocacy. [PR Newswire]

NEW DMICC Workshop on Research Supported by the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research
May 5-6, 2011
Rockville, United States

NEW American Association for Cancer Research: Metabolism and Cancer
October 16-19, 2011
Baltimore, United States

NEW 10th Annual American Association for Cancer Research Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research
October 22-25, 2011
Boston, United States

NEW AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics: Discovery, Biology, and Clinical Applications
November 12-16, 2011
San Francisco, United States

NEW The 2012 London Regenerative Medicine Event
February 16, 2012
London, United Kingdom

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

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

Postdoctoral Position (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

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

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

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

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