Pancreatic Cell News Volume 4.35 | Sep 10 2013

Losartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Protects Human Islets from Glucotoxicity through the Phospholipase C Pathway
Researchers evaluated the beneficial effects of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition on β-cell function under glucotoxic conditions. High glucose induced RAS activation with overexpression of AT1R mRNAs. [FASEB J] Abstract

Antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine Protects Pancreatic β-Cells against Aldosterone-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Female db/db Mice and Insulin-Producing MIN6 Cells
Scientists investigated whether oxidative stress is involved in and whether the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine or the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone could prevent or delay β-cell damage in vivo and in vitro. [Endocrinology] Abstract

Pancreatic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp CD117⁺ Stem Cells
Scientists assessed differentiation of dental pulp stem cells toward a pancreatic lineage in serum-free conditions, which is essential for safe transplantation. [Regen Med] Abstract

Nm23-H1 Regulates Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic β-Cells via Arf6-Rac1 Signaling Axis
siRNA-mediated knockdown of the expression of nm23-H1 markedly inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in INS-1 832/13 cells. Nm23-H1 knockdown also resulted in significant inhibition of glucose-mediated activation of Arf6, a small G-protein, which has been implicated in GSIS. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

PANCREATIC CANCER

Gemcitabine-Mediated Tumor Regression and p53-Dependent Gene Expression: Implications for Colon and Pancreatic Cancer Therapy
Gemcitabine induced a potent p53-dependent apoptosis that correlated with the accumulation of pro-apoptotic proteins such as PUMA and Bax. This is accompanied by a drastic reduction in p2l and 14-3-3σ protein levels, thereby significantly sensitizing the cells to apoptosis. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

MicroRNA-141, Downregulated in Pancreatic Cancer, Inhibited the Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Directly Targeting MAP4K4
Researchers explored the role of microRNA (miR)-141 in pancreatic cancer. The clinical characteristics analysis showed that miR-141 was significantly down-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

PIAS4 Is an Activator of Hypoxia Signaling via Von Hippel-Lindau Suppression during Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Scientists explored the roles of PIAS4 in pancreatic tumorigenesis. Cell proliferation and invasion was studied after overexpression and gene silencing of PIAS4. The protein was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells compared with the normal pancreas. [Br J Cancer] Abstract

HIF1 Contributes to Hypoxia-Induced Pancreatic Cancer Cells Invasion via Promoting QSOX1 Expression
Both hypoxia and hypoxia mimicking reagent up-regulated the expression of quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1 (QSOX1) in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α) eliminated hypoxia induced QSOX1 expression. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

Cleistanthane Diterpenes from the Seed of Caesalpinia sappan and Their Antiausterity Activity against PANC-1 Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Line
Cleistanthane diterpenes represent a novel class of antiausterity agents having preferential cytotoxicity against the PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line under nutrient deprived conditions. [Fitoterapia] Abstract

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Elcelyx Therapeutics’ NewMet for Type 2 Diabetes Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase IIb Study
Elcelyx Therapeutics announced that NewMet™, the delayed-release formulation of generic metformin for the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes, met its primary study endpoint with statistically significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose at four weeks of treatment compared to placebo. [Elcelyx Therapeutics] Press Release

UofL Diabetes & Obesity Center Wins Second Multimillion-Dollar NIH Grant
A center created with a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant at the University of Louisville (UofL) in 2008 has won its second five-year grant. The NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded an $11.25 million “Center of Biomedical Research Excellence” grant to UofL’s Diabetes and Obesity Center. [University of Louisville School of Medicine] Press Release

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

Postdoctoral Fellow – Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Diseases (University of Rochester Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Mechanism of Pancreatic Beta Cell Proliferation (Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Position – Differentiation of Human Pancreatic Endocrine Precursor Cells to Beta-Cells (AstraZeneca)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pancreatic Beta Cell Regeneration and Survival (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

Research Technologist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Senior Scientist – Pancreas Development (AstraZeneca)

Postdoctoral Researcher (The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio)

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