Pulmonary Cell News Volume 6.35 | Sep 7 2017

TOP STORY

A Regulatory Circuit Composed of DNA Methyltransferases and Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Controls Lung Cancer Cell Aggressiveness

Using human lung cancer tissue microarrays and fresh frozen tissues, the authors found that the overexpression of DNMT1 is positively correlated with the upregulation of KIT in tumor tissues. [Oncogene] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Loss of Nrf2 Promotes Alveolar Type 2 Cell Loss in Irradiated, Fibrotic Lung

The development of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis represents a critical clinical issue limiting delivery of therapeutic doses of radiation to non-small cell lung cancer. Identification of the cell types whose injury initiates a fibrotic response and the underlying biological factors that govern that response were investigated. The scientist’s results indicated that Nrf2 is an important regulator of irradiated lung’s capacity to maintain alveolar type 2 cells, whose injury can initiate a fibrotic phenotype. [Free Radic Biol Med] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Biomass Burning in the Amazon Region Causes DNA Damage and Cell Death in Human Lung Cells

Researchers present an integrated view of the effects of inhalable particles present in emissions of biomass burning. Exposing human lung cells to particulate matter smaller than 10 µm, significantly increased the level of reactive oxygen species, inflammatory cytokines, autophagy, and DNA damage. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Cadmium-Induced ER Stress and Inflammation Are Mediated through C/EBP–DDIT3 Signaling in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Scientists identified a cluster of genes that are altered in response to cadmium (Cd) exposure in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and demonstrated that Cd-induced ER stress and inflammation are mediated via CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP)-DNA-damaged-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3) signaling in BEAS-2B cells. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

Interleukin-17 Induces Human Alveolar Epithelial to Mesenchymal Cell Transition via the TGF-β1 Mediated Smad2/3 and ERK1/2 Activation

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and usually progressive lung disease and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. IL-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine which promotes EMT profiles in lung inflammatory diseases. Reseachers investigated the effect of IL-17 on EMT in alveolar epithelial cell line A549 and the role of TGFβ1-Smad and ERK signaling pathways in the process. [PLoS One] Full Article

LUNG CANCER

CDP138 Silencing Inhibits TGF-β/Smad Signaling to Impair Radioresistance and Metastasis via GDF15 in Lung Cancer

Scientists showed that CDP138 is frequently overexpressed and that high levels of CDP138 are correlated with lymph node metastasis in lung cancer. They provided evidence that CDP138-depleted lung cancer cells exhibited enhanced radiosensitivity as well as reduced migration and invasion. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Cell Division Cycle 42 Plays a Cell Type-Specific Role in Lung Tumorigenesis

Investigators found that cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) deficiency inhibits the KrasG12D-induced lung alveoli tumor formation, while conversely promotes bronchiole tumor formation in mice. Bronchial Cdc42 loss destroys contact inhibition potentially through cell polarity disruption, and results in increased tumor formation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Osimertinib (AZD9291) Decreases Programmed Death Ligand-1 in EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Scientists showed that osimertinib decreased PD-L1 expression in human EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro. Osimertinib markedly suppressed PD-L1 mRNA expression in both NCI-H1975 and HCC827 cells. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

Chlorogenic Acid Regulates Apoptosis and Stem Cell Marker-Related Gene Expression in A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells

The authors report that chlorogenic acid regulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes and self-renewal-related stem cell markers in cancer cells. The lung cancer cell line A549 was cultured with or without chlorogenic acid. The presence of chlorogenic acid decreased cell proliferation as measured by MTT activity. [Mol Cell Biochem] Abstract

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Links Embryonic Lung Development and Asthmatic Airway Remodeling

Investigators summarize the recent advances related to the mechanistic role of wnt/β-catenin signaling in lung development, consequences of aberrant expression or deletion of wnt/β-catenin signaling in expansion and progression of asthmatic airway remodeling, and linking early-impaired pulmonary development and airway remodeling later in life. They emphasize all possible recent potential therapeutic significance and future prospectives, that are adaptable for therapeutic intervention to treat asthmatic airway remodeling. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract

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

Teva to Present New Asthma and COPD Data

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that ten company-sponsored abstracts will be presented. [Press release from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Business Wire, Inc.) discussing research to be presented at at the 2017 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress, Milan] Press Release

Pulmatrix Licenses Inhaled COPD Drug PUR0200 to Vectura Group Plc

Pulmatrix, Inc. announced that it has partnered with Vectura Group plc. to develop Pulmatrix’s drug candidate, PUR0200, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for the U.S. market. [Pulmatrix Inc.] Press Release

Pulmatrix Receives Award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics to Support Development of PUR1900 for the Treatment of Pulmonary Fungal Infections

Pulmatrix, Inc. announced that it has received an award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics to support the development of its lead inhaled anti-fungal product candidate PUR1900 for the treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with cystic fibrosis and asthma. [Pulmatrix Inc.] Press Release

Dr. Peter Glazer Receives Prestigious Outstanding Investigator Award for Cancer Research

The National Cancer Institute has named Peter M. Glazer, M.D., Ph.D., as a recipient of its Outstanding Investigator Award. Glazer is the Robert E. Hunter Professor of Therapeutic Radiology, professor of genetics and chairman of the department of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center. [Yale School of Medicine] Press Release

Researchers Riled by Lack of Detail in Brexit Science Plans

More than one year after UK citizens voted to leave the European Union (EU) and just over two months into ‘Brexit’ negotiations, the British government has finally laid out how it would like to handle scientific relationships with the EU after it leaves the bloc next year. Many scientists are less than impressed. [Nature News] Editorial

Senate Spending Panel Approves $2 Billion Raise for NIH in 2018

A Senate subcommittee approved a $2 billion raise, to $36.1 billion, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 2018 fiscal year. To the relief of research universities, the Senate draft spending bill would also block a Trump proposal to slash NIH payments to cover the overhead costs of research. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Researchers Thought Peace in Colombia Would Mean More Science Funding. They Were Wrong

Wearing lab coats and hoisting placards with slogans such as “A country without science is a country without a future,” hundreds of scientists poured into plazas in cities across Colombia. Their beef: a proposed 42% cut to the 2018 budget of Colciencias, the nation’s science ministry in Bogotá, which doles out research grants and supports graduate students. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW EMBO-EMBL Symposia: Tissue Self-Organization: Challenging the Systems
March 11-14, 2018
Heidelberg, Germany

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

NEW PhD Position(s) – Cancer Biology (VIB-KULEUVEN Center for Cancer Biology)

Faculty Position(s) – Basic and Translational Cancer Research (Texas Tech University Health Science Center)

Faculty Positions – Lung Injury/Repair and Pulmonary Infectious Diseases (University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pulmonary Fibrosis (University of Michigan)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Pathobiology of Fibrotic Lung Diseases (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Childhood Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus)

Physician Scientist or Senior Scientist – Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (Brigham and Women’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pulmonary Research (University of Maryland)

Postdoctoral Position – Cardio/Pulmonary/Mitochondrial Research (University of Pittsburgh)

Faculty Position – Cancer Biology (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Postdoctoral Position – Cell Signaling/Cancer Biology (Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

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