Pulmonary Cell News Volume 6.24 | Jun 22 2017

TOP STORY

Simultaneous Overactivation of Wnt/β-Catenin and TGFβ Signaling by miR-128-3p Confers Chemoresistance-Associated Metastasis in NSCLC

Investigators report that high levels of miR-128-3p is key to concomitant development of chemoresistance and metastasis in residual NSCLC cells having survived repeated chemotherapy and correlates with chemoresistance, aggressiveness and poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. [Nat Commun] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Cell-Specific Expression of Aquaporin-5 (Aqp5) in Alveolar Epithelium Is Directed by GATA6/Sp1 via Histone Acetylation

Scientists found that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid increased AQP5 expression and Sp1-mediated transcription of p358P/E. HDAC3 overexpression inhibited Sp1-mediated Aqp5 activation, while HDAC3 knockdown augmented AQP5 protein expression. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Endocytic Uptake, Transport and Macromolecular Interactions of Anionic PAMAM Dendrimers within Lung Tissue

The authors report a comprehensive evaluation of the uptake and transport pathways that contribute to the lung disposition of dendrimers. Endocytosis pathways were examined in primary alveolar epithelial cultures by confocal microscopy. [Pharm Res] Full Article

Exposure to Bordetella pertussis Adenylate Cyclase Toxin Affects Integrin-Mediated Adhesion and Mechanics in Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Multiple bond force spectroscopy measurements demonstrated that adhesion and mechanical properties of A549 are deeply affected by exposure to the adenylate cyclase toxin but not to an enzymatically inactive variant. [Biol Cell] Abstract

LUNG CANCER

Oct4 Transcriptionally Regulates the Expression of Long Non-Coding RNAs NEAT1 and MALAT1 to Promote Lung Cancer Progression

Reconstitution experiments of Oct4 and downstream long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed to confirm Oct4-lncRNAs signaling axes in promoting lung cancer cell growth and motility. [Mol Cancer] Full Article

Isodeoxyelephantopin Induces Protective Autophagy in Lung Cancer Cells via Nrf2-p62-keap1 Feedback Loop

The authors investigated whether and how cancer cells exert protective responses against isodeoxyelephantopin (ESI) treatment. Confocal fluorescence microscopy showed that ESI significantly induced autophagy flux in the lung cancer cells expressing mCherry-EGFP-LC3 reporter. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Produced in Lung Fibroblasts Enhances Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Survival and Tumor Progression

Lung fibroblast-conditioned media enhanced the survival of three NSCLC cell lines tested. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was produced to a greater extent by lung fibroblasts than NSCLC cells. Exogenous HGF enhanced the survival of NSCLC cells. [Respir Res] Full Article

MicroRNA-4458 Suppresses the Proliferation of Human Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro by Directly Targeting Lin28B

Researchers investigated the direct target of miR-4458 and its biological functions in human lung cancer cells. By using the database TargetScan, they identified Lin28B, an oncogene, as a direct target gene of miR-4458. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

MiR-129-5p Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Stemness and Chemoresistance through Targeting DLK1

Scientists used NSCLC cell lines A549 and H460 to investigate the effects of miR-129-5p on NSCLC stemness and chemoresistance. CD133⁺ stem cells in both lines showed reduced miR-129-5p expression, and introducing miR-129-5p into these cells reduced stem cell markers and self-renewal ability, as measured by qRT-PCR, western blot, MTT assays, and sphere formation assays. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract

miR-1254 Promotes Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation by Targeting SFRP1

Investigators demonstrated that miR-1254 was upregulated in lung cancer tissues and cells. miR-1254 overexpression promoted lung cancer cell proliferation determined by MTT assay, colony formation assay, soft agar growth ability assay and BrdU incorporation assay, miR-1254 knockdown suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation. [Biomed Pharmacother] Abstract

Mitochondria in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer: Where Are We Now?

The authors discuss the current knowledge on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and NSCLC. [Biomark Med] Abstract

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

Propagenix Inc. Lands Three Research Grants to Advance Cell Therapy Technology for Type I Diabetes and Lung Disease

Propagenix Inc. has been awarded three research grants totaling $950,000 in direct costs. $300,000 will primarily be deployed to acquire application data related to use of EpiX™ for the expansion and differentiation of primary human lung progenitor cells, for drug discovery, personalized diagnostics, and cell therapy. [Propagenix Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC)] Press Release

Spyryx Biosciences Expands Development Award with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Spyryx Biosciences, Inc. announced that Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics has agreed to increase the funding provided under the previously announced development award. Under the revised agreement, the company is eligible to receive up to a total of $5 million. These funds will be used in support of Spyryx’s HOPE-1 study, a multinational Phase II trial of SPX-101 in people living with CF. [Spyryx Biosciences, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC)] Press Release

US Court Grants Elsevier Millions in Damages From Sci-Hub

One of the world’s largest science publishers, Elsevier, won a default legal judgement against websites that provide illicit access to tens of millions of research papers and books. A New York district court awarded Elsevier US$15 million in damages for copyright infringement by Sci-Hub, the Library of Genesis (LibGen) project and related sites. [Nature News] Editorial

University of Tokyo Scientist Hit by Anonymous Allegations Fights Back

Anonymous allegations of questionable data and images in 22 papers by six prominent groups at the prestigious University of Tokyo prompted the school to set up an investigating committee. Now, even before the panel completes its investigation, one of the accused researchers has mounted a staunch defense of his work. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

China Cracks Down on Fake Peer Reviews

The Chinese government is going on the offensive against scientists who dupe journals by creating fraudulent reviews of submitted papers. A coalition of agencies led by the science ministry announced that the government would suspend the grants of researchers involved in such fraud, which surfaced earlier this year when a cancer journal retracted 107 research papers from Chinese authors. [Nature News] Editorial

Strengthened US Sanctions on Cuba Disappoint Scientists

US President Donald Trump announced that he would strengthen travel and trade restrictions against Cuba, reversing his predecessor’s attempts to normalize relations with the country. The move is a blow to scientists who hoped that former president Barack Obama’s push to relax US restrictions on Cuba would make it easier for researchers there to travel and to collaborate with colleagues in the United States. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference
November 5-8, 2017
Liverpool, United Kingdom

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

NEW Postdoctoral Associate – Lung Cancer Research (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Training – Lung Disease (Baylor College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Genetics and Genomics (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Fellow – Cancer Research (National University of Singapore)

Staff Research Scientist – Lung Injury (St. Michael’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Lung Cancer Biology (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – miRNAs in Differentiation of Lung Progenitor Cells (Columbia University)

Postdoctoral Research Associate I – In Vitro and In Vivo Mechanisms of Pulmonary Hypertension (University of Arizona)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Inhalation & Developmental Toxicology (Louisiana State University)

Faculty – Immunology of Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health)

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