Pancreatic Cell News Volume 7.05 | Feb 9 2016

Myotubes Derived from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Mirror In Vivo Insulin Resistance
Scientists have created a novel cellular model of human muscle insulin resistance by differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells from individuals with mutations in the insulin receptor into functional myotubes and characterizing their response to insulin in comparison with controls. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article

Exosome-Like Vesicles Released from Lipid-Induced Insulin-Resistant Muscles Modulate Gene Expression and Proliferation of Beta Recipient Cells in Mice
Scientists investigated whether skeletal muscle-released exosome-like vesicles can be taken up by pancreatic beta cells and can deliver functional cargoes. [Diabetologia] Abstract

Peribiliary Glands as a Niche of Extra-Pancreatic Precursors Yielding Insulin-Producing Cells in Experimental and Human Diabetes
The authors evaluated, in experimental and human diabetes, proliferation of cells in peribiliary glands and differentiation of the biliary tree stem/progenitor cells towards insulin-producing cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Redifferentiation of Expanded Human Islet β Cells by Inhibition of ARX
Investigators aimed to improve redifferentiation efficiency by affecting the balance of islet progenitor-cell transcription factors activated by Redifferentiation Cocktail (RC) treatment. Specifically, RC treatment induced the transcription factors PAX4 and ARX, which play key roles in directing pancreas endocrine progenitor cells into the β/δ or α/PP developmental pathways, respectively. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Bif-1 Deficiency Impairs Lipid Homeostasis and Causes Obesity Accompanied by Insulin Resistance
Researchers showed that Bif-1 deficiency promotes the expansion of adipose tissue mass without altering food intake or physical activities. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Glucose Intolerance Develops Prior to Increased Adiposity and Accelerated Cessation of Estrous Cyclicity in Female Growth-Restricted Rats
Scientists tested the hypothesis that intrauterine growth restriction programs early reproductive aging and impaired glucose homeostasis in female rats. [Pediatr Res] Abstract

PANCREATIC CANCER

CYP3A5 Mediates Basal and Acquired Therapy Resistance in Different Subtypes of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
The authors present patient-derived models representing the full spectrum of previously identified quasi-mesenchymal, classical and exocrine-like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma subtypes, and identify two markers—HNF1A and KRT81—that enable stratification of tumors into different subtypes by using immunohistochemistry. [Nat Med] Abstract

EZH2 Promotes Cell Migration and Invasion but Does Not Alter Cell Proliferation by Suppressing E-Cadherin, Partly through Association with MALAT-1 in Pancreatic Cancer.
Researchers investigated the effects of aberrantly expressed enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) on pancreatic cancer. They found that EZH2 expression is up-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stage in pancreatic cancer patients. [Oncotarget] Full Article

Smad4-Dependent Suppressor Pituitary Homeobox 2 Promotes PPP2R2A-Mediated Inhibition of Akt Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer
Scientists performed gene expression profiling of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues and identified pituitary homeobox 2 (Pitx2) as a promising candidate. Pitx2 expression was decreased from 2.6- to 19-fold in human PDAC tissues from microarray units. [Oncotarget] Full Article

ALDOA Functions as an Oncogene in the Highly Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Investigators analyzed gene expression signatures in highly malignant patients. Multiple differentially expressed genes were identified, many of which were closely related with cancer metabolic changes. [Cancer Lett] Abstract

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Immunovia Announces Collaboration with Mount Sinai Health System to Validate Early Detection Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer in a Prospective Clinical Study
Immunovia AB announced that Mount Sinai Health System will be one of the first sites participating in a prospective clinical study for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Designed to validate Immunovia´s blood test, IMMray™ PanCan-d, the study will run for three years across sites in both the United States and Europe, starting second half of 2016. [Immunovia AB] Press Release

Another £1 Million for Research Projects Sees PCRF Research Spend Hit £8 Million!
Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF) has funded six new research projects with a total of £1 million – bringing the charity’s support for research into the United Kingdom’s most lethal cancer to over £8 million. [Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Diabetes (Danish Diabetes Academy)

Research Associate – Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (University of Cambridge)

Post-Doc Fellowship – Glucose Metabolism (Joslin Diabetes Center)

Research Associate – Cancer Pharmacology in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (University of Cambridge)

Post-Doc Fellowship – Computational Analysis Pancreas (Karolinska Institutet)

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)

Visiting Scientist – Diabetes (Danish Diabetes Academy)

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

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

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