Pulmonary Cell News Volume 9.16 | Apr 30 2020

TOP STORY

SARS-CoV-2 Receptor ACE2 Is an Interferon-Stimulated Gene in Human Airway Epithelial Cells and Is Detected in Specific Cell Subsets across Tissues

Researchers identified ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-expressing cells within lung type II pneumocytes, ileal absorptive enterocytes, and nasal goblet secretory cells. [Cell] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Development of CRISPR as an Antiviral Strategy to Combat SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza

Scientists demonstrated a CRISPR-Cas13-based strategy, prophylactic antiviral CRISPR in human cells, for viral inhibition that could effectively degrade RNA from SARS-CoV-2 sequences and live influenza A virus in human lung epithelial cells. [Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

An Orally Bioavailable Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in Human Airway Epithelial Cell Cultures and Multiple Coronaviruses in Mice

The authors showed that the ribonucleoside analog β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine had broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and related zoonotic group 2b or 2c bat-CoVs. [Sci Transl Med] Full Article

Conditional Deletion of Nedd4-2 in Lung Epithelial Cells Causes Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis in Adult Mice

Scientists showed that conditional deletion of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 in lung epithelial cells in adult mice produces chronic lung disease sharing key features with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Using Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Not Detected Using Traditional RNA Sequencing and Microarray

Functional enrichment analyses showed that DEGs-scRNA-cancer_cells were mainly related to cell proliferation and immunoregulation. [Lab Invest] Abstract

Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Enhances the Stemness of Alveolar Type 2 Cells

Assessment of sorted GFP⁺/alveolar type (AT)2 cells via the stem cell 3D organoid/colony forming assay revealed that the number and size of the colonies formed by the cigarette smoke-exposed AT2 stem cells were significantly higher than those of air-exposed control AT2 cells. [Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol] Abstract

LUNG CANCER

Inhibition of Tumor VEGFR2 Induces Serine 897 EphA2-Dependent Tumor Cell Invasion and Metastasis in NSCLC

Researchers demonstrated that inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG)FR2 in tumor cells, expressed in 20% of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, led to a pro-invasive phenotype. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Regulation of the Error-Prone DNA Polymerase Polκ by Oncogenic Signaling and Its Contribution to Drug Resistance

The authors found that melanoma and lung and breast cancer cells experiencing stress from oncogene inhibition up-regulated the expression of Polκ and shifted its localization from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. [Sci Signal] Full Article

RAGE Acts as an Oncogenic Role and Promotes the Metastasis of Human Lung Cancer

The growth of A549 cells was inhibited by receptor for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) overexpression. p53-dependent p21^CIP1 expression contributed to RAGE-induced growth inhibition by suppressing CDK2 kinase activity and retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation in vitro. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

11β Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 1: A New Marker for Predicting Response to Immune-Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

In vitro studies revealed that 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase promoted the intratumoral synthesis of cortisol. This resulted in a decrease in cytokines and in the inhibition of monocyte migration. [Br J Cancer] Abstract

Maimendong and Qianjinweijing Tang (Jin Formula) Suppresses Lung Cancer by Regulation of miR-149-3p

Scientists demonstrated the anti-cancer effect of Jin formula in vitro, and revealed that Jin formula could suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion of human lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells. [J Ethnopharmacol] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Amentoflavone, Active Compound of Selaginella Tamariscina, Inhibits In Vitro and In Vivo TGF-β-induced Metastasis of Human Cancer Cells

Researchers confirmed that aqueous extracts of S. tamariscina and amentoflavone inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition in human cancer cell lines. [Arch Biochem Biophys] Abstract

A Genome-Wide Enrichment Screen Identifies NUMA1-Loss as a Resistance Mechanism against Mitotic Cell-Death Induced by BMI1 Inhibition

Independent validations on NUMA1-proficient HAP1 and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines exposed to BMI1 inhibition by PTC-318 or BMI1 knockdown resulted in cell death following mitotic arrest. [PLoS One] Full Article

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Is Tissue Still the Issue in Detecting Molecular Alterations in Lung Cancer?

Many patients with advanced NSCLC do not have enough tissue for molecular testing and/or do not have a biopsy-amenable lesion and/or do not want to go through a repeat biopsy given the potential risks. [Respirology] Full Article

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Wize Pharma’s Strategic Transaction Partner Bonus Biogroup Initiates Preclinical Study for Treatment of Respiratory Distress in COVID-19 Patients

Wize Pharma, Inc. has initiated a preclinical study of its drug product candidate MesenCure, specifically developed to potentially treat acute and life-threatening respiratory distress and pneumonia whether as a result of infection with coronavirus (COVID-19), or any other type of virus, bacterial infection, or exposure to other contaminants. [Wize Pharma, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Caladrius Biosciences Plans to Assess Its CLBS119 Cell Therapy for Repair of COVID-19 Induced Lung Damage

Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. announced that the FDA has authorized its investigational new drug application for the study of CLBS119, a CD34⁺ cell therapy for repair of COVID-19 induced lung damage. The study will target patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection that required ventilatory support due to respiratory failure. [Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.] Press Release

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Affinia Therapeutics Establish Multi-Year Collaboration to Discover and Develop Novel AAV Capsids for Genetic Therapies

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Affinia Therapeutics announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic research collaboration to engineer novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids to deliver transformative genetic therapies to people with serious diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and cystic fibrosis. [Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated] Press Release

As COVID-19 Forces Conferences Online, Scientists Discover Upsides of Virtual Format

As the novel coronavirus outbreak shutters businesses and disrupts everyday life for billions around the globe, massive annual conferences and small society meetings alike have moved online. The new format poses numerous technical and organizational challenges, but it also offers opportunities- for reaching wider audiences, reducing the carbon footprint of meeting travel, and improving diversity and equity. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Open Science Takes On the Coronavirus Pandemic

When reports emerged in late 2019 of an outbreak of a new coronavirus centred in Wuhan, China, researchers at the virological-analysis website Nextstrain were ready. The open-source project tracks the spread of viruses through genetic variations in the sequences that scientists find. [Nature News] Editorial

In light of COVID-19, many conferences are being cancelled or postponed. As such:

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NEW Junior Research Group Leader – Lung Cancer (Justus Liebig University Giessen)

Branch Chief – Integrative Tumor Epidemiology (NIH National Cancer Institute)

PhD Studentship – Organoid Engineering in Lung Diseases (Helmholtz Zentrum München German Research Center for Environmental Health)

Laboratory Manager – Lung Diseases (Helmholtz Zentrum München)

Postdoctoral Fellow – SARS-CoV-2 Lung Infection (Markus Bosmann)

Research Fellow – Respiratory Viruses (Queen’s University Belfast)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Tumor Metabolism and DNA Repair (The Ohio State University)

Postdoctoral Position – Lung Organoids (Columbia University Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Lung Injury (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Research Associate – Cystic Fibrosis (Michigan State University)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Lung Epithelium (Boston University)

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