Pancreatic Cell News Volume 6.16 | Apr 28 2015

TEAD and YAP Regulate the Enhancer Network of Human Embryonic Pancreatic Progenitors
Using human embryonic pancreas and embryonic-stem-cell-derived progenitors researchers identified stage-specific transcripts and associated enhancers, many of which are co-occupied by transcription factors that are essential for pancreas development. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract

Long-Term High-Fat High-Sucrose Diet Promotes Enlarged Islets and β-Cell Damage by Oxidative Stress in Bama Minipigs
The authors investigated the pancreatic histopathology and β-cell apoptosis in Bama minipigs after 23 months on a high-fat high-sucrose diet. [Pancreas] Full Article

Polyphenols Isolated from Broussonetia kazinoki Prevent Cytokine-Induced β-Cell Damage and the Development of Type 1 Diabetes
Researchers investigated the effects of kazinol C and isokazinol D isolated from B. kazinoki on the β-cell viability and function. RINm5F cells and primary islets were used for in vitro and ex vivo cytokine toxicity experiments, respectively. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

PANCREATIC CANCER

Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Novel Differentially Regulated mRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, sdRNAs and a piRNA in Pancreatic Cancer
The authors analyzed the coding and non-coding transcriptome of six pancreatic cancer and five control tissues using next-generation sequencing. Overexpression of microRNA (miR)-802 in MiaPaCa pancreatic cancer cells reduced TCF4 protein levels. [Mol Cancer] Abstract | Full Article

Aptamer-Mediated Codelivery of Doxorubicin and NF-κB Decoy Enhances Chemosensitivity of Pancreatic Tumor Cells
Scientists present a novel oligonucleotide chimera, composed by an RNA aptamer and a DNA decoy. The assembly is able to target tumor cells via an antitransferrin receptor RNA aptamer and perform selective codelivery of a chemotherapeutic drug and of an inhibitor of a cell-survival factor, the nuclear factor κB decoy oligonucleotide. [Mol Ther Nucleic Acids] Full Article

Deregulation of the miR-193b-KRAS Axis Contributes to Impaired Cell Growth in Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers identified microRNA (miR)-193b as a tumor-suppressive miRNA in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Expression analyses revealed that miR-193b was downregulated in PDAC specimens and cell lines. [PLoS One] Full Article

Annexin V-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy plus Docetaxel for the Targeted Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
The binding strength of fusion proteins to the human pancreatic cancer (PDAC) cell lines Panc-1 and Capan-1 was measured via streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase binding to biotinylated fusion proteins. All fusion proteins exhibited strong binding to PDAC cells, with dissociation constants between 0.02 and 1.15 nM. [Pancreas] Abstract

The Influence of SnoN Gene Silencing by siRNA on the Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Investigators revealed that the RNAi-mediated downregulation of SnoN effectively inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. SnoN-siRNA also enhanced SW1990 PC cell apoptosis. [Diagn Pathol] Full Article

Effects of Emodin on the Demethylation of Tumor-Suppressor Genes in Pancreatic Cancer PANC-1 Cells
Researchers hypothesized that emodin exerts its antitumor effect by participating in the regulation of the DNA methylation level. Researchers showed that emodin inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. [Oncol Rep] Abstract

New Insights Into the Role of Macrophages in β-Cell Proliferation
The authors discuss several independent studies, using different regeneration models, that demonstrate a substantial inductive role for macrophages in β-cell proliferation. Additional dissection of the involved cell-cell crosstalk through specific signal transduction pathways is expected to improve the understanding of β-cell proliferation and might facilitate the current β-cell replacement therapy. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the pancreatic cell research field.

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and Baxter BioScience Announce Completion of New Drug Application Submission to U.S. FDA for MM-398 as a Treatment for Post-Gemcitabine Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Baxter International Inc. jointly announced that Merrimack has completed the rolling submission of the new drug application for MM-398, also known as “nal-IRI,” to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Merrimack is seeking U.S. marketing approval of MM-398 for the treatment of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas who have been previously treated with gemcitabine-based therapy. [Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

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

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology Endoderm Lineages (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technician – Diabetes (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Mechanisms of Cell Death of Normal Tissue Stem Cells (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Image-Guided Drug Delivery (Eindhoven University of Technology)

Research Assistant Professor – Protein Misfolding and Toxicity (George Washington University)

Director – Center of Emphasis in Diabetes and Metabolism (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Obesity & Diabetes (INSERM U892)

Postdoctoral Positions – Developmental Biology (Joslin Diabetes Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Type 2 Diabetes (Harvard Medical School)

Tenure-Track Immunology Faculty Position – Diabetes (University of Connecticut Health Center)

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