Pulmonary Cell News 6.18 May 11, 2017 | |
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TOP STORYA Wnt-Producing Niche Drives Proliferative Potential and Progression in Lung Adenocarcinoma Scientists showed that mouse and human lung adenocarcinomas display hierarchical features with two distinct subpopulations, one with high Wnt signaling activity and another forming a niche that provides the Wnt ligand. The Wnt responder cells showed increased tumor propagation ability, suggesting that these cells have features of normal tissue stem cells. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)The authors explored whether fluticasone propionate, alone and in combination with formoterol, in a human bronchial epithelial cell line and primary bronchial epithelial cells, counteracted some cigarette smoke extract-mediated effects and in particular some of the molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid resistance. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract Lipopolysacchatide (LPS) and ovalbumin were observed to induce the production of interleukin-25 (IL-25) in bronchial epithelial cells in vitro via the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Blockage of Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (Shp2) by its specific inhibitor PHPS1 or by siRNA-mediated depletion was found to reduce the production of IL-25 in epithelial cells as well as the up-regulated LPS-triggered activation of JNK but not p38. [PLoS One] Full Article Human β-Defensin-2 Production upon Viral and Bacterial Co-Infection Is Attenuated in COPD Investigators examined how co-infection of airway epithelial cells with rhinovirus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2) expression, and whether these responses are attenuated by cigarette smoke and in epithelial cells obtained by bronchial brushings from smokers with normal lung function or from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. [PLoS One] Full Article LAMP-2 Mediates Oxidative Stress-Dependent Cell Death in Zn2+-Treated Lung Epithelium Cells Scientists demonstrated that Zn2+ could induce deglycosylation of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 and 2 (LAMP-2), which primarily locate in late endosomes/lysosomes, in A549 lung epithelium cells. LAMP-2 knockdown further aggravated Zn2+-mediated reactive oxygen species production and cell death, indicating LAMP-2 was involved in Zn2+-induced toxicity. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract LUNG CANCERIntratumoral Heterogeneity Generated by Notch Signaling Promotes Small-Cell Lung Cancer Researchers showed that Notch signaling can be both tumor suppressive and pro-tumorigenic in small-cell lung cancer. Endogenous activation of the Notch pathway resulted in a neuroendocrine to non-neuroendocrine fate switch in 10–50% of tumor cells in a mouse model of small-cell lung cancer and in human tumors. This switch was mediated in part by Rest, a transcriptional repressor that inhibits neuroendocrine gene expression [Nature] Abstract Investigators evaluated tumor specimens from 65 patients with melanoma, lung non-squamous, squamous cell lung or head and neck cancers who were treated with the approved PD1 targeting antibodies pembrolizumab or nivolumab. Tumor RNA before anti-PD1 therapy was analyzed on the nCounter system using the PanCancer 730-Immune Panel, and they identified 23 immune-related genes or signatures linked to response and progression-free survival. [Cancer Res] Abstract The authors showed that downregulation of histone H2B through RNF20 knockdown dramatically decreases H3K79 and H3K4 trimethylation in both normal and malignant lung epithelial cell lines. [Int J Cancer] Abstract Researchers determined the functional relevance and therapeutic potential of cell division cycle associated protein-3 (CDCA3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The function of CDCA3 in NSCLC was determined using several in vitro assays by siRNA depleting CDCA3 in a panel of three immortalized bronchial epithelial cell lines and seven NSCLC cell lines. [J Thorac Oncol] Abstract The authors observed up-regulated tumor suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3) expression at the mRNA and protein levels in clinical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples compared with adjacent non-tumorous lung tissues. The expression level of TUSC3 was significantly correlated with tumor metastasis and patient survival. Overexpression of TUSC3 in NSCLC cells led to increased proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and accelerated xenograft tumor growth in vivo, while the opposite effects were achieved in TUSC3-silenced cells. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract | |
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REVIEWSMajor Tumor Suppressor and Oncogenic Non-Coding RNAs: Clinical Relevance in Lung Cancer Recent work on microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs is introduced and summarized with a focus on potential biological and therapeutic applications. [Cells] Full Article Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the pulmonary cell research field. | |
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SCIENCE NEWSPrometic to Present New Data on How Plasminogen Reduces Acute Lung Injury Prometic Life Sciences Inc. announced that it will be presenting new data showing the benefits of plasminogen administration in reducing lung injury in a gold standard animal model of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with acute pancreatitis. [Press release from Prometic Life Sciences Inc. discussing research to be presented at the American Thoracic Society’s 2017 International Conference, Washington, D.C.] Press Release | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSThe Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) and Biocept, Inc. announced a clinical collaboration and initiation of the landmark ALCMI-009 liquid biopsy clinical trial, which was developed and will be conducted by ALCMI and its consortium of leading U.S. and international oncology centers. In this large-scale study, which plans to enroll 400 patients, Biocept’s Target Selector™ assay platform will be used to detect and assess cancer biomarkers found in both circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA from the blood of patients with lung cancer. [Biocept, Inc.] Press Release Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Calithera Biosciences, Inc. announced the companies have expanded their existing collaboration to evaluate Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo in combination with Calithera’s CB-839 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma. [Bristol-Myers Squibb Company] Press Release PureTech Health plc announced the initiation of a Phase IIb study of its mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) program by its subsidiary, resTORbio. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of RTB101 alone or in combination with RAD001 in reducing the incidence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in elderly patients at increased risk of morbidity and mortality related to RTIs. [GlaxoSmithKline plc] Press Release GlaxoSmithKline plc and Innoviva Inc announced positive results from the innovative Salford Lung Study in asthma, carried out amongst 4,233 patients treated by their own General Practitioner in everyday clinical practice. This open-label, randomized study showed that significantly more asthma patients initiated on treatment with Relvar Ellipta achieved an improvement in their asthma control compared with patients who continued to take their usual care medicines. [GlaxoSmithKline plc] Press Release Pulmatrix Receives Key US Patent for Its Inhaled Drug for COPD Pulmatrix, Inc. announced that it has received a key patent in the United States (US) for its lead drug candidate, PUR0200, which is intended to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). [Pulmatrix, Inc.] Press Release Savara Announces Expedited U.S. Molgradex Development Strategy Savara Inc. announced that it has received guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the clinical program requirements for a New Drug Application submission in the U.S. for Molgradex, an inhaled formulation of recombinant human GM-CSF, for the treatment of autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. [Savara Inc.] Press Release NYU Langone Welcomes Renowned Thoracic Surgeon as Director of Its New Lung Cancer Center Robert J. Cerfolio, MD will join NYU Langone as chief of clinical thoracic surgery. He will become the first director of the Lung Cancer Center at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. [NYU Langone Medical Center] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSThe Secret War against Counterfeit Science China is famous for knock-off DVDs, Louis Vuitton bags and Rolex watches. But counterfeit reagents aren’t on sale in busy public markets. They are sold through sophisticated websites, mixed in with legitimate supplies, and sourced and sold using a network of unwitting partners. [Nature News] Editorial Science Publishers Try New Tack to Combat Unauthorized Paper Sharing The unauthorized sharing of copyrighted research papers is on the rise, say analysts who track the publishing industry. Faced with this problem, science publishers seem to be changing tack in their approach to researchers who breach copyright. [Nature News] Editorial Biotech Execs, Academic Leaders Make Case for NIH Funding at White House Meeting Could the Trump administration be changing its mind about slashing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? Scientific leaders were optimistic after meeting at the White House with several biotech executives to discuss the “ecosystem” in which federally funded basic research leads to discoveries that companies turn into treatments. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW Advances in Modeling Cancer in Mice: Technology, Biology, and Beyond NEW Cold Spring Harbor Stem Cell Biology Meeting Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Inhalation & Developmental Toxicology (Louisiana State University) NEW Postdoctoral Scientist – Macrophage and Lung Fibrosis (University of Oxford) PhD Studentship – Border and Regions Airways Training Hub (Dundalk Institute of Technology) Faculty – Immunology of Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health) Research Administrator IV – Early Detection of Lung Cancer (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) Tenure Track Positions – Translational Asthma Research Program (Perelman School of Medicine) Assistant, Associate or Full Professor Position(s) – Asthma Research (University of Pennsylvania) NIH Training Grant – Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine (University of Pittsburgh) 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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Home Pulmonary Cell News Volume 6.18 | May 11 2017