Pancreatic Cell News Volume 7.02 | Jan 19 2016

Reduced Interleukin-2 Responsiveness Impairs the Ability of T_reg Cells to Compete for IL-2 in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
The authors investigated how IL-2 pathway defects impact regulatory T cell (T_reg) cells in type 1 diabetes susceptible nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice in comparison to protected C57BL/6 and NOD congenic mice. [Immunol Cell Biol] Abstract

Overexpression of a Glucokinase Point Mutant in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus
Investigators showed that streptozotocin-induced diabetic murine model exhibits low glucokinase expression with high blood glucose levels; moreover, aggravated glomerulonephritis is observed in the model when IL10 is deficient. [Gene Ther] Abstract | Full Article

Insulin Deficiency Induces Rat Renal Mesangial Cell Dysfunction via Activation of IGF-1/IGF-1R Pathway
Researchers investigated the insulin deficiency induced changes in renal mesangial cells and in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Full Article

Argirein Alleviates Stress-Induced and Diabetic Hypogonadism in Rats via Normalizing Testis Endothelin Receptor A and Connexin 43
Researchers investigated the effects of argirein on stress-induced (hyper-gonadotrophic) and diabetic (hypo-gonadotrophic) hypogonadism in male rats. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

Peptide Micelle-Mediated Curcumin Delivery for Protection of Islet Beta-Cells Under Hypoxia
R3V6 peptide micelles, composed of a 3-arginine stretch and 6-valine stretch, were evaluated as a curcumin carrier to INS-1 insulinoma cells. [J Drug Target] Abstract

PANCREATIC CANCER

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Inhibition: A Novel Therapeutic Approach in Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers showed that human pancreatic stellate cells secrete HGF but do not express the receptor c-MET, which is present predominantly on cancer cells. HGF inhibition was as effective as standard chemotherapy in inhibiting local tumor growth but was significantly more effective than gemcitabine in reducing tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. [Br J Cancer] Abstract

The Hydroxyl at Position C₁ of Genipin Is the Active Inhibitory Group that Affects Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein 2 in Panc-1 Cells
Four genipin (GNP) derivatives in which the hydroxyl at position C₁₀ or C₁ was replaced with other chemical groups were synthesized and isolated. Differences in the inhibitory effects of GNP and its four derivatives on pancreatic carcinoma cell (Panc-1) proliferation were assessed. [PLoS One] Full Article

Monocarboxylate Transporters MCT1 and MCT4 Regulate Migration and Invasion of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells
Monocarboxylate transporter expression, localization, activity, and function were explored in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells and normal human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells, by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, lactate flux, migration, and invasion assays. [Pancreas] Abstract

Germline Mutation of the CCK Receptor: A Novel Biomarker for Pancreas Cancer
Scientists have identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism that results in missplicing of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor gene and expressing a larger mutated receptor in pancreatic cancer. [Clin Transl Gastroenterol] Full Article

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Immunovia and The University of Liverpool Enter into Collaboration to Validate Early Detection Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer in a Prospective Clinical Study
Immunovia announced that the first European site participating in its prospective clinical study for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer will be the National Institute for Health Research Pancreatic Biomedical Research Unit, based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. [Immunovia AB] Press Release

Oncolytics Biotech^® Inc. Announces First Patients Treated in Phase Ib Study in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Oncolytics Biotech Inc. announced that the first patients have been treated in a Phase Ib study of pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA^®) in combination with REOLYSIN^® (pelareorep) and chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. [Oncolytics Biotech Inc.] Press Release

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NEW Post-Doc Fellowship/PhD Studentship – Cancer Metastasis (The University of Helsinki)

NEW Post-Doc Fellowship (The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology)

Post-Doc Researcher – Drug Discovery in Cancer/Diabetes (D. E. Shaw Research)

Post-Doc Fellowship – Diabetes Research (Sanford Research/University of South Dakota)

Faculty Position – Biomedical Metabolomics & Metabolism (University of Ottawa)

Post-Doc Researcher – Pancreatic Cancer (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)

Visiting Scientist – Diabetes (Danish Diabetes Academy)

Post-Doc Researcher – Type 1 Diabetes (University of Turku)

Principal Investigator – Age Related Disease (Austrian Institute of Technology)

Post-Doc Researcher – Functional Genomics of Obesity (Inserm)

Clinical Research Fellow – Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (Imperial College London)

MD/PhD Researcher – Biomedical Sciences (Hannover Medical School)

PhD Studentship – Cancer Biology (University of Salzburg)

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