Pulmonary Cell News Volume 8.33 | Aug 29 2019

TOP STORY

Liquid Biopsy-Based Single-Cell Metabolic Phenotyping of Lung Cancer Patients for Informative Diagnostics

Using a single-cell on-chip metabolic cytometry and fluorescent metabolic probes, investigators showed metabolic phenotyping on the rare disseminated tumor cells in pleural effusions across a panel of 32 lung adenocarcinoma patients. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARM1 Regulates Senescence during Airway Epithelial Cell Injury in COPD Pathogenesis

Using a naphthalene-induced mouse model of airway epithelial damage, the authors demonstrated that loss of CC10-positive club cells was accompanied by a reduction in coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase-1 (CARM1) expressing cells of the airway epithelium. [Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol] Abstract

TGF-β1 Increases Viral Burden and Promotes HIV-1 Latency in Primary Differentiated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Scientists found that in patients with chronic airway diseases, TGF-β could elevate the HIV viral reservoir load that could further exacerbate HIV associated lung comorbidities. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Proteasome Dysfunction in Alveolar Type 2 Epithelial Cells Is Associated with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

The authors generated a genetic model in which a proteasome subunit, RPT3, which promotes assembly of active 26S proteasome, was conditionally deleted in alveolar type 2 cells of mice. Partial deletion of RPT3 resulted in 26S proteasome dysfunction, leading to augmented cell stress and cell death. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Characterization of an Immortalized Human Small Airway Basal Stem/Progenitor Cell Line with Airway Region-Specific Differentiation Capacity

Small airway basal cells were purified from brushed small airway epithelium (SAE) of a healthy nonsmoker donor with a characteristic normal SAE transcriptome. The basal cells were immortalized by retrovirus-mediated telomerase reverse transcriptase transduction and single cell drug selection. [Respir Res] Full Article

LUNG CANCER

PAQR3 Suppresses the Growth of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells via Modulation of EGFR-Mediated Autophagy

Researchers investigated whether PAQR3 modulates EGFR-mediated autophagy and whether such regulation is associated with the tumor suppressive activity of PAQR3. PAQR3 was able to inhibit the in vitro and in vivo growth of non-small cell lung cancer cells. [Autophagy] Abstract

Mutationally-Activated PI3’-Kinase-α Promotes De-Differentiation of Lung Tumors Initiated by the BRAF^V600E Oncoprotein Kinase

Scientists demonstrated that co-expression of BRAF^V600E and PIK3CA^H1047R in AT2 pneumocytes lead to rapid cell de-differentiation, without decreased expression of the transcription factors NKX2-1, FOXA1, or FOXA2. [eLife] Full Article | Editorial

Novel Carbazole-Piperazine Hybrid Small Molecule Induces Apoptosis by Targeting BCL-2 and Inhibits Tumor Progression in Lung Adenocarcinoma In Vitro and Xenograft Mice Model

Researchers defined ECPU-0001 as an effective tumoricidal agent which exhibited impressive anticancer activity in vitro as well as in vivo by targeting BCL-2 associated intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. [Cancers] Full Article

NCBP1 Promotes the Development of Lung Adenocarcinoma through Up-Regulation of CUL4B

Scientists found that nuclear cap‐binding protein 1 (NCBP1) was significantly overexpressed in lung cancer tissues and several lung cancer cell lines. Through knockdown and overexpression experiments, they showed that NCBP1 promoted lung cancer cell growth, wound healing ability, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

DYRK1A Inhibition Suppresses STAT3/EGFR/Met Signaling and Sensitizes EGFR Wild-Type NSCLC cells to AZD9291

Investigators showed that DYRK1A repression could enhance the anti‐cancer effect of AZD9291 by inducing apoptosis and suppressing cell proliferation in EGFR wild-type non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. In addition, harmine could enhance the anti-NSCLC activity of AZD9291 by modulating STAT3 pathway. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

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Mechanisms of Lung Disease Development in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated lung disease probably originates from chronic airway and alveolar epithelial injury that occurs in an individual with a genetic background that permits the development of autoimmunity, leading to chronic inflammation and subsequent airway and lung parenchymal remodeling and fibrosis. Further investigations into the specific mechanisms by which lung disease develops in RA will be crucial for the development of effective therapies. [Nat Rev Rheumatol] Abstract

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Breztri Aerosphere Phase III ETHOS Trial Met Its Primary Endpoint in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

AstraZeneca announced positive results from the Phase III ETHOS trial for triple-combination therapy Breztri Aerosphere, formerly PT010, in patients with moderate to very severe COPD. [AstraZeneca] Press Release

AbbVie Discontinues Rovalpituzumab Tesirine (Rova-T) Research and Development Program

AbbVie announced that MERU, a Phase III trial evaluating Rova-T as a first-line maintenance therapy for advanced small-cell lung cancer, demonstrated no survival benefit at a pre-planned interim analysis for patients receiving Rova-T as compared with placebo. [AbbVie] Press Release

Younger Scientists Need Better Support

Letters from research funders to university leaders rarely raise eyebrows. But a letter sent this month by the heads of the United Kingdom’s three largest medical-research funders did just that. [Nature News] Editorial

FDA Warns Testing Companies: Don’t Tell Patients How Their DNA Influences Response to Specific Drugs

Amid a boom in genetic testing that aims to predict a person’s response to medication, the FDA has been quietly pressuring a handful of companies to stop reporting results to patients about how their genes may interact with specific drugs. [STAT News] Editorial

Australia Plans to Tackle Foreign Influence at Nation’s Universities

In response to growing concerns in Australia about foreign influence at universities, cyberspying, and a perceived erosion of freedom of speech on campuses, the country’s education minister announced that a new task force will develop “best-practice guidelines for dealing with foreign interference.” [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Cancer Epigenetics: New Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities
January 26-30, 2020
Keystone, Colorado, United States

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Lung Inflammation (The Boston University Pulmonary Center)

NEW Postdoctoral Scientist – Small Cell Lung Cancer (Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute)

Scientific Communications Coordinator (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Pulmonary (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Associate Director – Pulmonary Biology (Translate Bio, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Lung Cancer (University Hospital of Cologne)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Lung Cancer Immunology (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Lung Epithelium (Boston University)

Postdoctoral Positions – Pulmonary Injury (University of Maryland)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Lung Lineage Development (Hospital for Sick Children)

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