Pulmonary Cell News Volume 6.05 | Feb 9 2017

TOP STORY

Identification of BPIFA1/SPLUNC1 as an Epithelium-Derived Smooth Muscle Relaxing Factor

Investigators showed that BPIFA1 levels are reduced in sputum samples from asthmatic patients and that BPIFA1 is secreted basolaterally from healthy, but not asthmatic human bronchial epithelial cultures, where it suppresses airway smooth muscle contractility by binding to and inhibiting the Ca²⁺ influx channel Orai1. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Secreted by Bone Marrow Stem Cell Reduce ER Stress and Improves Repair in Alveolar Epithelial II Cells

Scientists hypothesized that secreted mediators bone marrow stem cells (BMSC-cm) reduces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Primary alveolar epithelial cells isolated from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients were treated with BMSC-cm. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Novel Flow Cytometry Approach to Identify Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Healthy Human Airways

The authors present a flow cytometric method identifying human bronchial epithelial cells as CD45 negative, EpCAM/pan-cytokeratin double-positive population after excluding debris, doublets and dead cells from the analysis. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Antibacterial Defense of Human Airway Epithelial Cells from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Induced by Acute Exposure to Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae: Modulation by Cigarette Smoke

Scientists investigated the bacterial killing activity and expression of antimicrobial proteins and peptides by air-liquid interface-cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and non-COPD (ex-)smokers that were stimulated with nontypeable H. influenzae. [J Innate Immun] Abstract

LUNG CANCER

The lncRNA VELUCT Strongly Regulates Viability of Lung Cancer Cells Despite Its Extremely Low Abundance

Researchers identified long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) regulating the viability of lung cancer cells in a high-throughput RNA interference screen. They found the extremely low abundant lncRNA Viability Enhancing LUng Cancer Transcript VELUCT is essential for regulation of cell viability in several lung cancer cell lines. [Nucleic Acids Res] Full Article

CD73/NT5E Is a Target of miR-30a-5p and Plays an Important Role in the Pathogenesis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Scientists found that CD73 is overexpressed and miR-30a-5p is underexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous. They showed that CD73 is a direct target of miR-30a-5p by luciferase reporter assays, quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis. They also found that overexpression of miR-30a-5p in these non-small cell lung cancer cell lines inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. [Mol Cancer] Full Article

Acquired Resistance to the Hsp90 Inhibitor, Ganetespib in KRAS Mutant NSCLC Is Mediated via Reactivation of the ERK-p90RSK-mTOR Signaling Network

The authors examined the mechanism(s) of acquired resistance to the Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, ganetespib, and identified novel and rationally devised Hsp90 inhibitor combinations which may prevent and overcome resistance to Hsp90 inhibitors. They derived KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer ganetespib resistant cell lines to identify the resistance mechanism(s) and identified hyperactivation of RAF/MEK/ERK/RSK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways as key resistance mechanisms. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

S100A7 Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma to Squamous Carcinoma Transdifferentiation, and Its Expression Is Differentially Regulated by the Hippo-YAP Pathway in Lung Cancer Cells

Scientists revealed that S100A7 overexpression facilitates the transdifferentiation from adenocarcinoma to squamous carcinoma in several lung cancer cells, which is confirmed by an increase in DNp63 expression and a decrease in thyroid transcription factor 1 and aspartic proteinase napsin expression. [Oncotarget] Full Article

Cancer Cells Increase Endothelial Cell Tube Formation and Survival by Activating the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Researchers found that cancer cells can promote endothelial cell tube formation and survival, at least in part, through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and thus change the microenvironment to benefit tumor growth. The gene signatures from human umbilical vein endothelial cells are associated with the clinical outcome of non-small-cell lung cancer patients. [J Exp Clin Cancer Res] Full Article

Characterization of Three-Dimensional Cancer Cell Migration in Mixed Collagen-Matrigel Scaffolds Using Microfluidics and Image Analysis

Investigators used microfluidic devices filled with hydrogels of mixed collagen-Matrigel composition to study the migration of lung cancer cells under different cancer invasion microenvironments. They present the design of the microfluidic device, characterize the hydrogels morphologically and mechanically and use quantitative image analysis to measure the migration of H1299 lung adenocarcinoma cancer cells in different experimental conditions. [PLoS One] Full Article

Mitochondria in the Spotlight of Aging and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

The authors discuss the recent attempt to define the age-associated changes predisposing individuals to develop idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Age-related perturbations that are increasingly found in epithelial cells and fibroblasts from IPF lungs compared with age-matched cells from normal lungs include defective autophagy, telomere attrition, altered proteostasis, and cell senescence. [J Clin Invest] Abstract

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

Afatinib to Be Evaluated in Combination with PD-1 Inhibitor Pembrolizumab in New Trial for Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

Boehringer Ingelheim announced the initiation of a Phase II trial of afatinib (Giotrif^®) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda^®) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. [Boehringer Ingelheim (GmbH)] Press Release

Spyryx Biosciences Announces Successful Completion of Phase I Clinical Trial for SPX-101 and Planned Phase II Initiation in Cystic Fibrosis

Spyryx Biosciences, Inc., announced the successful completion of a Phase I study for its lead compound, SPX-101, in healthy volunteers. SPX-101 is an inhaled SPLUNC1-derived peptide with a novel biological mechanism for regulating epithelial ion channels in the airway. The drug is designed to restore a natural pathway in the lung that regulates airway hydration and promotes mucociliary clearance, which is dysfunctional in cystic fibrosis. [Spyryx Biosciences (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

LUNGevity Announces Funding Opportunity for First-Ever Lung Cancer Early Detection and Interception Dream Team

LUNGevity Foundation, in collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the American Lung Association, announced that the American Association for Cancer Research, SU2C’s scientific partner, has issued a Call for Ideas for research proposals that focus on lung cancer early detection and interception: catching precancerous cells and blocking them from turning into cancer cells. [LUNGevity Foundation] Press Release

French Auditors Criticize €5-Billion Science Super-Campus Near Paris

France’s government auditor has taken a sharp swipe at efforts to develop a science super-campus near Paris that, by 2020, was supposed to rival the world’s top campus universities, such as the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [Nature News] Editorial

U.S. Senate Bill Aims to Make Sure Federal Scientists Aren’t ‘Muzzled’

Congressional Democrats are rallying behind a bill to protect federal scientists from attempts to interfere with scientific discourse and dissemination of research results. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

The Marches for Science, on One Global Interactive Map

Weinberg, Berman, and an anthropology doctoral student Valorie Aquino, officially announced that a March for Science would be held on 22 April in Washington, D.C. Science advocates in more than 100 cities around the world say they will hold allied demonstrations the same day. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW hPSC Training Course: Reprogramming, Maintenance and Reversion to Naïve-Like State
April 24-26, 2017
Vancouver, Canada

NEW Reversion of Primed hPSCs to Naive-Like State Training Course
April 25-26, 2017
Vancouver, Canada

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

NEW PhD Student – Lung Cancer (Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research)

Research Associate – Chronic Respiratory Disease (University College London)

Postdoctoral Position – Lung Biology & Respiratory Infections (Boston University School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Lung Fibrosis (University of Oxford)

Principal Scientist – Translational Development (Celgene Corporation)

Postdoctoral Position – Cellular Therapeutics in Chronic Lung Disease (Helmholtz Zentrum München)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Lung Development and Infectious Disease (University of Texas Health)

Allergy and Immunology – Postdoctoral Fellow (New York University Medical Center)

Assistant Professor – Molecular Therapeutics of Cancer (Dartmouth College)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Genetics/Epigenetics (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.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Pulmonary Cell News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.