Volume 5.05 | Feb 10 - Cancer Stem Cell News

Cancer Stem Cell News 5.05 February 10, 2016

TOP STORY

Gene Family Turns Cancer Cells into Aggressive Stem Cells That Keep Growing
Researchers showed that the Ly6 family of genes allows cancer cells to act like cancer stem cells — which keep dividing and growing without pause. [Press release from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center discussing online publication in Oncotarget] Press Release | Full Article

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PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Serine/Threonine Kinase MLK4 Determines Mesenchymal Identity in Glioma Stem Cells in an NF-κB-Dependent Manner
Scientists report that mixed lineage kinase 4 (MLK4) is overexpressed in mesenchymal (MES) but not proneural glioma stem cells (GSCs). Silencing MLK4 suppresses self-renewal, motility, tumorigenesis, and radioresistance of MES GSCs via a loss of the MES signature. [Cancer Cell] Abstract

miR-126 Regulates Distinct Self-Renewal Outcomes in Normal and Malignant Hematopoietic Stem Cells
To investigate miRNA function in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cells (LSC), scientists generated a prognostic LSC-associated miRNA signature derived from functionally validated subpopulations of AML samples. [Cancer Cell] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Self-Renewal of CD133^hi Cells by IL6/Notch3 Signaling Regulates Endocrine Resistance in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Researchers developed experimental models of metastatic luminal breast cancer and demonstrated that hormonal therapy (HT) can promote the generation of HT-resistant, self-renewing CD133^hi/ER^lo/IL6^hi cancer stem cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article

PAF-Wnt Signaling-Induced Cell Plasticity Is Required for Maintenance of Breast Cancer Cell Stemness
Scientists identified PCNA-associated factor (PAF) as a key molecule that controls cancer cell stemness. PAF was highly expressed in breast cancer cells but not in mammary epithelial cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article

KCTD12 Regulates Colorectal Cancer Cell Stemness through the ERK Pathway
The authors demonstrated that KCTD12, potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 12, is down-regulated in the cancer stem cells-like cells of colorectal cancer. [Sci Rep] Full Article

miR-203 Inhibits Proliferation and Self-Renewal of Leukemia Stem Cells by Targeting Survivin and Bmi-1
Researchers identified a novel miR-203/survivin/Bmi-1 axis involved in the regulation of biological properties of leukemia stem cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Fusion with Stem Cell Makes the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Similar to Liver Tumor-Initiating Cells
Research on the fusion of stem cells and cancer cells demonstrated that the fused cells can exhibit stemness and cancer cell-like characteristics. Thus, tumor-initiating cell-like cells were generated. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

The Metastatic Potential and Chemoresistance of Human Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells
Cancer stem cells for human pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) have been identified, but neither the metastatic potential nor the chemoresistance of these cells has been adequately evaluated. The authors have addressed these issues by examining side-population cells isolated from the Panc-1 and BxPC3 lines of human PDAC cells, the oncogenotypes of which differ. [PLoS One] Full Article

Differential Roles for DUSP Family Members in Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Cancer Stem Cell Regulation in Breast Cancer
Investigators showed that the key chromatin-associated kinase PKC-θ directly regulates a subset of DUSP family members. DUSP1, DUSP4, and DUSP6 globally but differentially co-exist with enhancer and permissive active histone post-translational modifications, suggesting that they play distinct roles in gene regulation in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition/cancer stem cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

A miR-34a-Numb Feedforward Loop Triggered by Inflammation Regulates Asymmetric Stem Cell Division in Intestine and Colon Cancer
Researchers showed that miR-34a directly suppresses Numb in early-stage colon cancer stem cells, forming an incoherent feedforward loop targeting Notch to separate stem and non-stem cell fates robustly. [Cell Stem Cell ] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

REVIEWS

Cancer Stem Cells and Their Cellular Origins in Primary Liver and Biliary Tract Cancers
The review focuses on the candidate normal cells of origin of liver and biliary tract cancers and the future directions of therapies targeting cancer stem cells. [Hepatology] Abstract

Targeting Hypoxic Response for Cancer Therapy
The review provides an overview of the characteristics of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, with particular focus on novel therapeutic strategies currently in clinical trials, targeting the adaptive response to hypoxia of cancer cells. [Oncotarget] Full Article

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

INDUSTRY NEWS

Dream Team Gets $11.7 Million to Fight Brain Cancers
A “Dream Team” of top Canadian scientists, led by two outstanding figures in stem cell research, is launching a new attack on brain cancers. The team will receive $11.7 million over four years from Stand Up To Cancer Canada, Genome Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, and Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. [Canadian Stem Cell Foundation] Press Release

Propanc Discovers PRP Dramatically Suppresses Cancer Stem Cells
Propanc Health Group Corporation announced the company has filed a third patent regarding the use of its lead product, PRP, as a method to treat cancer by targeting cancer stem cell eradication, whilst sparing normal stem cells. [Propanc Health Group Corporation] Press Release

U-M Researcher Receives $6.5 Million Grant to Target Cancer Stem Cells
Max S. Wicha, M.D. has received a $6.5 million Outstanding Investigator Award to study cancer stem cells, the small number of cells within a tumor that fuel its growth and spread. [University of Michigan] Press Release

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POLICY NEWS

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

EVENTS

NEW Tumor Microenvironment and Signaling
April 3-6, 2016
Heidelberg, Germany

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

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

NEW Faculty Position – Cancer Research (Various Areas) (The Jackson Laboratory)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Cancer Epigenomics (Princess Margaret Cancer Centre )

NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Liver Cancer Metabolism (Monash University)

Faculty Position – Radioimmunotherapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Director Manufacturing – Cell and Gene Therapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Lab Technician – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Post-Doc Fellowships – Integrative Analysis in Prostate and Breast Cancer (Baylor College of Medicine)

Research Scientist – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (University of Chicago)

Staff Scientist – Cell Therapy Process Development (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Post-Doc Fellowship – Bioinformatics RNA Biology and Cancer (German Cancer Research Center)

Post-Doc Fellowship – Genetics and Genomics of Stem Cells (Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University)

Professor – Cancer Immunotherapy (Stanford Cancer Institute)

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