Pancreatic Cell News Volume 2.32 | Aug 16 2011

How Fatty Diets Cause Diabetes
In studies spanning mice and humans, a team discovered a pathway to disease that is activated in pancreatic beta cells, and then leads to metabolic defects in other organs and tissues, including the liver, muscle and adipose. Together, this adds up to diabetes. [Press release from the University of California discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Researchers Zero in on Protein That May Help Treat Obesity, Diabetes
Studies found that rats administered with nesfatin-1 ate less, used more stored fat and became more active. In addition, the protein stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells of both rats and mice. [Press release from York University discussing online prepublication in Endocrinology and the Journal of Endocrinology]

DIABETES

Pathway to Diabetes Through Attenuation of Pancreatic Beta Cell Glycosylation and Glucose Transport
Researchers report a combination of molecular events in human and mouse pancreatic beta cells, induced by elevated levels of free fatty acids or by administration of a high-fat diet with associated obesity, that comprise a pathogenic pathway to diabetes. [Nat Med]

E2F Transcription Factor-1 Regulates Oxidative Metabolism
In pancreatic β-cells, E2F1 gene regulation facilitated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. [Nat Cell Biol]

Deficit of tRNA^Lys Modification by Cdkal1 Causes the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
The findings suggest that glucose-stimulated translation of proinsulin may require fully modified tRNA^Lys, which could potentially explain the molecular pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in patients carrying cdkal1 risk alleles. [J Clin Invest]

Microcephaly with Simplified Gyration, Epilepsy, and Infantile Diabetes Linked to Inappropriate Apoptosis of Neural Progenitors
Researchers describe a syndrome of primary microcephaly with simplified gyral pattern in combination with severe infantile epileptic encephalopathy and early-onset permanent diabetes in two unrelated consanguineous families with at least three affected children. [Am J Hum Genet]

Nutrient Responsive Nesfatin-1 Regulates Energy Balance and Induces Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion in Rats
The effects of nesfatin-1 on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were examined in isolated pancreatic islets. [Endocrinology]

PANCREATIC CANCER

Increased Expression of the Large GTPase Dynamin 2 Potentiates Metastatic Migration and Invasion of Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma
The goal of this study was to test if Dynamin 2 is upregulated in human pancreatic tumors and to define its role in cell migration and metastatic invasion using in vitro assays and nude mouse models. [Oncogene]

Pancreatic ß-Cells Activate a JunB/ATF3-Dependent Survival Pathway During Inflammation
The findings identify ATF3 as a novel downstream target of JunB in the survival mechanism of ß-cells under inflammatory stress. [Oncogene]

Effects of Capsid Modified Oncolytic Adenoviruses and Their Combinations with Gemcitabine or Silica Gel on Pancreatic Cancer
In this work, capsid-modified adenoviruses were studied for transduction of cell lines and clinical normal and tumor tissue samples. [Int J Cancer]

Antroquinonol, a Natural Ubiquinone Derivative, Induces a Cross Talk Between Apoptosis, Autophagy and Senescence in Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells
The data suggest that antroquinonol induces anticancer activity in human pancreatic cancers through an inhibitory effect on PI3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways that in turn down-regulates cell cycle regulators. [J Nutr Biochem]

Holoclone Forming Cells from Pancreatic Cancer Cells Enrich Tumor Initiating Cells and Represent a Novel Model for Study of Cancer Stem Cells
The goal of the present study was to indentify the holoclone-forming pancreatic cancer stem cells and develop an in vitro continuous colony formation system, which will greatly facilitate the study of pancreatic cancer stem cells. [PLoS One]

Intercept Pharmaceuticals and Servier Announce Agreement for Intercept’s TGR5 Research Program in Type 2 Diabetes
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Les Laboratoires Servier announced that they have entered into a worldwide ex-U.S. and Japan agreement for the discovery and development of novel TGR5 agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic indications. [Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press Release]

Sirona Biochem Proudly Supports Canadian Diabetes Association
Sirona Biochem Corp. is pleased to announce its support of the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Proud Supporter Program in the amount of $25,000. [Sirona Biochem Corporation Press Release]

Tekmira Announces Additional Clinical Trial of TKM-PLK1 with the U.S. National Cancer Institute
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, along with its collaborators at the United States National Cancer Institute, announced that they have received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to proceed with a new Phase I clinical trial for Tekmira’s lead oncology product, TKM-PLK1. [Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation 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)

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies) 

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell, Diabetes (City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute)

Senior Scientific Advisor for Clinical & Translational Research (The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Postdoctoral Fellow in Cardiovascular/Diabetic Research (Boston University)

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