Pulmonary Cell News Volume 3.12 | Apr 3 2014

Whole-Genome Analysis of Temporal Gene Expression during Early Transdifferentiation of Human Lung Alveolar Epithelial Type 2 Cells In Vitro
A discovery-based gene expression profile analysis was undertaken of freshly isolated human alveolar epithelial type II (hAT2) cells grown on extracellular matrix substrata known to either support or retard the early transdifferentiation process into hAT1-like cells over the first three days. [PLoS One] Full Article

Conditioned Media from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Restores Sodium Transport and Preserves Epithelial Permeability in an In Vitro Model of Acute Alveolar Injury
To determine the mechanisms by which mesenchymal stromal cells media exerts its beneficial effect, an in vitro model of alveolar epithelial injury was created by exposing primary rat alveolar epithelial cells to hypoxia plus cytomix, a combination of IL-1ß, TNF-a and IFN-?. [Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol] Abstract

mAChRs Activation Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition on Lung Epithelial Cells
Decreased E-cadherin expression and increased vimentin and alpha-SMA expression induced by TGF-beta1 in alveolar epithelial cells were significantly abrogated by the non-selective mAChR antagonist atropine and enhanced by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine. [BMC Pulm Med] Abstract | Full Article

Blackcurrant Cultivar Polyphenolic Extracts Suppress CCL26 Secretion from Alveolar Epithelial Cells
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of ten different blackcurrant cultivar polyphenolic extracts in suppressing CCL26 secretion in stimulated human alveolar epithelial cells. [Food Funct] Abstract

Isolation and Cultivation of Metabolically Competent Alveolar Epithelial Cells from A/J Mice
To enable mechanistic investigations the isolation and cultivation of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) is desirable. Based on four different protocols dispase digestion of lung tissue was best and yielded 9.3±1.5 x 10⁶ AECs. [Toxicol In Vitro] Abstract

LUNG CANCER

KRAS Mutation Status Is Associated with Enhanced Dependency on Folate Metabolism Pathways in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
Scientists explored the possibility of exploiting inherent differences in KRAS mutant cell metabolism for treatment. This study identified a greater dependency on folate metabolism pathways in KRAS mutant compared to KRAS wild type non small cell lung cancer cell lines. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

Damaging and Protective Bystander Cross-Talk Between Human Lung Cancer and Normal Cells after Proton Microbeam Irradiation
Employing a co-culture approach, scientists investigated the bystander cross-talk between lung cancer and normal cells after proton-microbeam irradiation using ?-H2AX foci fluorescence as a measure of DNA double-strand breaks. [Mutat Res] Abstract

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Anti-Cancer Mechanism by Periplocin Treatment in Lung Cancer Cells
The protein profile changes of human lung cancer cell lines A549 in response to periplocin treatment was investigated using a proteomics approach. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

VER-155008, a Small Molecule Inhibitor of HSP70 with Potent Anti-Cancer Activity on Lung Cancer Cell Lines
Researchers sought to characterize heat shock protein (HSP)70 and HSP90 as potent regulators of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) growth. Their results indicate that differential expression of HSP70 is associated with the malignant phenotype of NSCLC cell lines and plays an important regulatory role in NSCLC cell proliferation. [Exp Biol Med] Abstract

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Allegro Diagnostics Confirms Clinical Validation of BronchoGen™ Genomic Test for Improved Diagnosis of Lung Cancer in AEGIS-2 Clinical Trial
Allegro Diagnostics Corp. announced that the AEGIS-2 clinical trial has met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that the BronchoGen™ genomic test improves the accuracy of lung cancer diagnosis when used in combination with bronchoscopy. [Allegro Diagnostics Corp.] Press Release

Update on Phase III Clinical Trial of Investigational MAGE-A3 Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
GlaxoSmithKline plc announced its decision to stop the MAGRIT trial, a Phase III trial of its MAGE-A3 cancer immunotherapeutic in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, after establishing that it will not be possible to identify a sub-population of gene-signature positive NSCLC patients that may benefit from the treatment. [GlaxoSmithKline plc] Press Release

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NEW Visiting Scientist/Postdoctoral Researcher – Lung and Vascular Biology (University of Kentucky)

NEW Postdoctoral Opportunity – Mucins, Mucus and Mucociliary Interactions in the Lung (AstraZeneca)

NEW PhD Student – Lung Development (Erasmus MC)

NEW Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Positions – Pulmonary and Exercise Immunology (São Paulo Research Foundation)

Research Project Leader – Next Generation Lung Cancer Diagnostics (BIOBASE)

Director of GMP/GLP Quality Operations (University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Pulmonary Research (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Novel Therapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of Lung Cancer (Sloan Kettering Institute)

Research Technologist – Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Particle Chemistry (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – PSC Biology and Bioengineering (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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