Pancreatic Cell News Volume 9.07 | Feb 20 2018

TOP STORY

A Gene that Increases the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Controls Inflammation in Normal Tissue

Inflammation is a defensive response of the body to aggression, but when it persists it can be harmful and can even predispose the subject to cancer. Hence, it is crucial to understand fully the relationship between inflammation and cancer. A group of researchers have discovered an unexpected link between the two processes: in the pancreas, one of the genes that increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer also controls inflammation. [Press release from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

DIABETES & PANCREATITIS

Role of Protein Phosphatase 1 and Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase-1 in Nitric Oxide-Dependent Inhibition of the DNA Damage Response in Pancreatic β-Cells

The authors explored potential mechanisms by which nitric oxide inhibits DNA damage response (DDR) signaling. They showed that inhibition of DDR signaling (measured by γH2AX formation and the phosphorylation of KAP1) is selective for nitric oxide, as other forms of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species do not impair DDR signaling. [Diabetes] Abstract

β Cell-Specific Deletion of the IL-1 Receptor Antagonist Impairs β Cell Proliferation and Insulin Secretion

The protective role of local interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) was investigated in pancreatic islet β cell-specific versus myeloid-cell-specific IL-1Ra knockout mice. Deletion of IL-1Ra in β cells, but not in myeloid cells, resulted in diminished islet IL-1Ra expression. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Beta Cell Extracellular Vesicle miR-21-5p Cargo Is Increased in Response to Inflammatory Cytokines and Serves as a Biomarker of Type 1 Diabetes

Cytokine treatment in beta cell lines and human islets resulted in a 1.5- to threefold increase in miR-21-5p. However, corresponding extracellular vesicles (EVs) were further enriched for this miRNA, with a three- to sixfold EV miR-21-5p increase in response to cytokine treatment. [Diabetologia] Abstract

The Type 2 Diabetes-Associated HMG20A Gene Is Mandatory for Islet Beta Cell Functional Maturity

The authors demonstrated that HMG20A is expressed in both human and mouse islets and that levels are decreased in islets of type 2 diabetes mellitus donors as compared to islets from non-diabetic donors. In vitro studies in mouse and human islets demonstrated that glucose transiently increased HMG20A transcript levels, a result also observed in islets of gestating mice. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Modeling Human Pancreatic Beta Cell Dedifferentiation

Investigators modeled human β-cell dedifferentiation using growth factor stimulation in the human β-cell line, EndoC-βH1, and human pancreatic islets. Fibroblast growth factor 2 treatment reduced expression of β-cell markers and activated ectopic expression of MYC, HES1, SOX9, and NEUROG3. [Mol Metab] Full Article

PANCREATIC CANCER

CQ Sensitizes Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Gemcitabine through the Lysosomal Apoptotic Pathway via Reactive Oxygen Species

Scientists found that exposure to gemcitabine (GEM) induced a significant increase in autophagy in a dose-dependent manner in PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (CQ) and ATG7 siRNA increased GEM-induced cytotoxicity, and CQ was more effective than ATG7 siRNA. [Mol Oncol] Abstract | Full Article

MicroRNA-193a Stimulates Pancreatic Cancer Cell Repopulation and Metastasis through Modulating TGF-β2/TGF-βRIII Signalings

miR-193a was highly expressed in the irradiated pancreatic cancer dying cells, accordingly elevated the level of miR-193a in surviving cells, and further promoted pancreatic cancer repopulation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. [J Exp Clin Cancer Res] Full Article

Artemin Regulates CXCR4 Expression to Induce Migration and Invasion in Pancreatic Cancer Cells through Activation of NF-κB Signaling

Investigators performed an analysis to determine the effects of artemin on modulating tumor cell metastatic potential and invasion activity and explored its mechanisms in pancreatic cancer. They indicated that artemin and CXCR4 were overexpressed in cancer tissues and widely expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines. [Exp Cell Res] Abstract

Adenovirus-Mediated Delivery of Decoy Hyper Binding Sites Targeting Oncogenic HMGA1 Reduces Pancreatic and Liver Cancer Cell Viability

A 70%–80% reduction in cell viability and increased sensitivity to gemcitabine was observed in five different pancreatic and liver cancer cell lines 72 hours after infection with replication defective engineered adenovirus serotype 5 virus containing the high mobility group AT-hook (HMGA)-6 decoy hyper binding sites. [Mol Ther Oncolytics] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Engineering a Clinically Translatable Bioartificial Pancreas to Treat Type I Diabetes

Encapsulating insulin-secreting cells within implantable, semipermeable capsules is a potential approach for the treatment for type 1 diabetes that avoids or reduces the need for immunosuppressive drugs. The authors highlight the status of the most advanced and widely explored implementations of cell encapsulation with an eye toward translating the potential of this technological approach to medical reality. [Trends Biotechnol] Abstract

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

Cancer Research UK to Invest £45 Million in Clinical Trials

Cancer Research UK has announced that £45 million will be invested into its network of clinical trials units across the UK, one of the charity’s largest investments in clinical research to date. [Cancer Research UK] Press Release

Propanc Biopharma Receives Allowance of Key Patent Application in the EU

Propanc Biopharma Inc. announced allowance of a key patent application from the European Patent Office covering a pharmaceutical composition for treating cancer comprising trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen within the European Union (EU). [Propanc Biopharma Inc.] Press Release

Indonesian Scientists Hamstrung by Year-Long Funding Delay

Indonesian scientists expecting to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for research are stuck in limbo because the country’s first dedicated science-funding agency is struggling to raise enough money. [Nature News] Editorial

Italian Election Leaves Science Out in the Cold

As campaigning ahead of Italy’s national election enters its final weeks, researchers in the country fear that budget cuts and declining interest in science will only continue — whatever the outcome of the vote. [Nature News] Editorial

Biden Blasts Science Denialists, Calls to Dramatically Speed Up Fight against Cancer

Fresh off a plane from the NATO meeting in Munich, where he’d conferred with world leaders on global defense, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden issued a forceful call here last night to build on the “Cancer Moonshot” he started while in the White House and transform the way the world fights cancer. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Aegean Conferences: 2^nd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis
June 13-18, 2018
Crete, Greece

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

NEW Postdoctoral Positions – Pancreatic Cancer Cells (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Diabetes (University of Chicago)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Diabetes Research (Joslin Diabetes Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis (Moffitt Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Pancreas Development and Stem Cells (Helmholtz Zentrum München)

PhD Student Position – Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis (University Medical Center Freiburg)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Pancreatic Cancer (Columbia University)

Professorship – Pancreas Development and Disease (Technischen Universität Dresden)

Tenure-Track Group Leader Position – Pancreatic Cancer Biology (University of Copenhagen)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Pancreatic Cancer (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

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