Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.26 | Jul 5 2011

Preventing Diabetes Damage: Zinc’s Effects on a Kinky, Two-Faced Cohort
In type 2 diabetes, a protein called amylin forms dense clumps that shut down insulin-producing cells, wreaking havoc on the control of blood sugar. But zinc has a knack for preventing amylin from misbehaving. [Press release from the University of Michigan discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Molecular Biology]

Results Released for Two Drug Studies Designed to Slow Progression of Type 1 Diabetes
The results of two diabetes drug studies, including one that shows promise for stopping the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in people newly diagnosed with type I diabetes, were presented at the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions in San Diego. [Press release from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in The Lancet]

CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals Demonstrates that Novel Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) Inhibitors Targeted to Protein-Protein Binding Sites Inhibit Pancreatic Cancer Cells Growth
Researchers presented results demonstrating that novel FAK inhibitors targeting the binding site of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 reduced the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. [Press release from CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals discussing research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco]

Transplant Programme Success
The Scottish National Pancreatic Islet Transplant Programme has now carried out three islet cell infusions in two patients who as a result, no longer require insulin or risk the loss of consciousness due to hypoglycaemic attack. [The Scottish Government Press Release]

DIABETES

Antigen-Based Therapy with Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) Vaccine in Patients with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomised Double-Blind Trial
Researchers aimed to assess whether immunisation with GAD formulated with aluminum hydroxide would preserve insulin production in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. [Lancet]

Co-Stimulation Modulation with Abatacept in Patients with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: a Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Researchers evaluated the effect of abatacept in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. [Lancet]

Innervation Patterns of Autonomic Axons in the Human Endocrine Pancreas
Here researchers demonstrate that the innervation of human islets is different from that of mouse islets and does not conform to existing models of autonomic control of islet function. [Cell Metab]

Insulitis in the Human Endocrine Pancreas: Does a Viral Infection Lead to Inflammation and Beta Cell Replication?
Researchers suggest that insulitis may be the common factor linking beta cell replication and VP1 positivity, with persistent virus infection leading to chemokine secretion, infiltration of immune cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced beta cell replication. [Diabetologia]

A Two-Site Mechanism for the Inhibition of IAPP Amyloidogenesis by Zinc
In this study, researchers show that zinc binds unaggregated human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) at micromolar concentrations similar to those found in the extracellular environment. [J Mol Biol]

Spectratype Analysis of the Islet-Reactive T Cell Repertoire in Diabetic NOD Igmu-Null Mice After Polyclonal B Cell Reconstitution
Researchers have used the spectratyping technique to follow the T cell receptor V beta repertoire of non obese diabetic mice lacking B cells (NOD.Igmunull mice) following B cell reconstitution. [J Transl Med]

Redundant Role of the Cytochrome C-Mediated Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway in Pancreatic β Cells
Researchers examined the role of cytochrome c in pancreatic β cells under homeostatic conditions and in diabetes models, including those induced by streptozotocin and c-Myc. [J Endocrinol]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Extensive Pancreas Regeneration Following Acinar-Specific Disruption of Xbp1 in Mice
Researchers found that XBP1 appears to be required for homeostatisis of acinar cells in mice; ER stress induces a regenerative response in the pancreas that involves acinar and centroacinar cells and promotes organ recovery from exocrine pancreas disease. [Gastroenterology]

Tocotrienols Inhibit AKT and ERK Activation and Suppress Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation by Suppressing the ErbB2 Pathway
The results suggest that the tocotrienol isoforms of vitamin E can induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through the suppression of vital cell survival and proliferative signaling pathways such as those mediated by the PI3-kinase/AKT and ERK/MAP kinases via downregulation of Her2/ErbB2 expression. [Free Radic Biol Med]

Novel Thiosemicarbazone Iron Chelators Induce Up-Regulation and Phosphorylation of the Metastasis Suppressor, NDRG1: A New Strategy for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers demonstrate for the first time in pancreatic cancer that these agents increase the expression of the growth and metastasis suppressor, N-myc down-stream regulated gene 1, and also its phosphorylation at Ser-330 and Thr-346 that is important for its activity against this tumor. [Mol Pharmacol]

Honokiol Arrests Cell Cycle, Induces Apoptosis, and Potentiates the Cytotoxic Effect of Gemcitabine in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
In this study, researchers determined the effects of honokiol, a biologically active constituent of oriental medicinal herb Magnolia officinalis/grandiflora, on two pancreatic cancer cell lines, MiaPaCa and Panc1, alone and in combination with the standard chemotherapeutic drug, gemcitabine. [PLoS One]

Inhibition of Rho-Associated Coiled-Coil Containing Protein Kinase (ROCK) Enhances the Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Pancreatic Cancer Cells
In the present study, researchers investigated the role of ROCK in EGF receptor signaling in the pancreatic cancer cell lines, Panc1, KP3 and AsPc1. [Mol Cancer]

Low Expression of Aldehyde Deyhdrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) is a Prognostic Marker for Poor Survival in Pancreatic Cancer
The aim of this study was to reevaluate the expression of ALDH1A1 as a prognostic marker on whole-mount tissue sections. [BMC Cancer]

Identification of Epigenetically Silenced Genes in Human Pancreatic Cancer by a Novel Method “Microarray Coupled with Methyl-CpG Targeted Transcriptional Activation” (MeTA-array)
Researchers describe the identification of transcriptionally silenced hypermethylated genes in pancreatic cancer cells by using a novel method called MeTA-array, which can effectively reactivate genes containing the stringent criteria of CpG islands at promoter regions. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun]

Pancreatic Cancer Incidence and Death Rate on the Rise as Overall Cancer Death Rates Continue to Decline
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is calling on the federal government to make pancreatic cancer research a national priority, as the incidence and death rates for the fourth leading cause of cancer death in our country continue to increase according to “Cancer Facts & Figures 2011,” a report released by the American Cancer Society. [Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Press Release]

Nuvilex Enters $21.5 Billion Stem Cell Arena Through SG Austria Acquisition
Nuvilex, Inc. announced its plans to continue development of the live–cell encapsulation technology obtained with its recent acquisition of SG Austria, to carry out the pancreatic cancer clinical trial, to maintain and expand customers utilizing the encapsulation technology, and to establish itself as an active participant in the stem cell arena. [Nuvilex, 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 American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on New Horizons in Cancer Research: Biology to Prevention to Therapy
December 13-16, 2011
Gurgaon, India

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

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies) 

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Post Doctoral Fellow (University of California, Los Angeles)

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