Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.23 | Jun 14 2011

Special Protein Protects New Islet Cells From Autoimmune Destruction
When researchers used a special gene therapy to induce the livers of mice with diabetes to make islet or beta cells, they knew they were on the road to developing an important new treatment for type 1 diabetes. [Baylor College of Medicine Press Release]

Nature Article Implicates microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Data from a collaborative study demonstrated that antagonism of microRNA (miR)-103/107 with proprietary chemically modified anti-miR oligonucleotides could promote insulin signaling in both liver and adipose tissue. [Press release from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discussing online prepublication in Nature]

Blood Proteins May Identify Vulnerability of Pancreatic Cancers to Avastin
Tiny tumor proteins circulating in blood may be used to identify which pancreatic cancer patients would benefit from the drug Avastin, researchers have found. [Press release from Duke Medicine discussing research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago]

DIABETES

MicroRNAs 103 and 107 Regulate Insulin Sensitivity
Here researchers show that the expression of microRNAs 103 and 107 is upregulated in obese mice. [Nature]

Defective Differentiation of Regulatory FoxP3+ T Cells by Small-Intestinal Dendritic Cells in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Researchers tested the hypothesis that the intestinal milieu impinges on human type 1 diabetes by affecting differentiation of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells. [Diabetes]

Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes: Normalisation of Beta Cell Function in Association with Decreased Pancreas and Liver Triacylglycerol
Type 2 diabetes is regarded as inevitably progressive, with irreversible beta cell failure. The hypothesis was tested that both beta cell failure and insulin resistance can be reversed by dietary restriction of energy intake. [Diabetologia]

Deletion of Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Elicits Antipodal, Age-Dependent Effects on Glucose and Insulin Tolerance
Researchers present the first longitudinal characterization, to their knowledge, of glucose regulation in mice with pancellular deletion of the insulin-degrading enzyme gene. [PLoS One]

The Peptide-Binding Motif of HLA-DR8 Shares Important Structural Features with Other Type 1 Diabetes-Associated Alleles
The objective of this study was to characterize the peptide-binding motif of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II HLA-DR8 molecule included in the type 1 diabetes-associated haplotype DRB1*0801-DQA1*0401/DQB1*0402 (DR8-DQ4), and compare it with that of other diabetes-associated MHC class II alleles; DR8-bound peptides were eluted from an HLA-DR homozygous lymphoblastoid cell line. [Genes Immun]

Emergence of Insulin Resistance in Juvenile Baboon Offspring of Mothers Exposed to Moderate Maternal Nutrient Reduction
Researchers hypothesized that pre-pubertal offspring exposed to maternal nutrient reduction during pregnancy and lactation would show signs of programming of β-cell function and/or peripheral insulin resistance. [Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Integrated Proteomic Profiling of Cell Line Conditioned Media and Pancreatic Juice for the Identification of Pancreatic Cancer Biomarkers
This study details the combined mining of pancreatic cancer-related cell line conditioned media and pancreatic juice for identification of putative diagnostic leads. [Mol Cell Proteomics]

microRNA-10b Expression Correlates with Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy and Survival in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
In this study researchers sought to determine whether microRNA-10b could serve as a biomarker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [Clin Cancer Res]

A Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in Tumor Suppressor Gene SEL1L as a Predictive and Prognostic Marker for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in Caucasians
Researchers hypothesized that this single-nucleotide polymorphism may influence clinical outcomes of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [Mol Carcinog]

Increased Expression of DNA Repair Genes in Invasive Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells.
Using the established lines HPAC and PANC1 and a Matrigel assay, genome expression arrays were performed to analyze patterns between invasive and total cells. [Pancreas]

The Presence of IGHG1 in Human Pancreatic Carcinomas Is Associated With Immune Evasion Mechanisms
Comparative proteomic analysis was used to detect the differential expression of Igγ-1 chain C region (IGHG1) in human pancreatic cancer tissues versus adjacent noncancerous tissues, followed by confirmatory tests including quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. [Pancreas]

Aberrant Expressions of AP-2α Splice Variants in Pancreatic Cancer
This study was conducted to evaluate the expression and function of AP-2α isoforms in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [Pancreas]

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Selecta Biosciences Enter Research Collaboration for Vaccines for Type 1 Diabetes
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Selecta Biosciences, Inc. announced that they have established a research collaboration to support Selecta’s development of a vaccine technology, which may subsequently help to better treat and potentially prevent type 1 diabetes. [Selecta Biosciences Press Release]

Morphotek, Inc. Announces That Two Investigational Drugs Have Received Orphan Drug Designations
Morphotek®,Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designations to two of its investigational cancer drugs, MORAb-004 for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma and MORAb-066 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [Morphotek, Inc. Press Release]

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)

NEW Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress
September 12-15, 2011
Boston, United States

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

Chemist (STEMCELL Technologies) 

Research and Development Senior Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

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

Post Doctoral Fellow (University of California, Los Angeles)

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