Cancer Stem Cell News Volume 3.44 | Nov 12 2014

NOTCH-Induced Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A1 Deacetylation Promotes Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Evaluation of breast carcinoma tissues from patients revealed that cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)1 activity have low ALDH1A1 acetylation and are capable of self-renewal. Acetylation of ALDH1A1 inhibited both the stem cell population and self-renewal properties in breast cancer. [J Clin Invest] Full Article

Loss of Giant Obscurins from Breast Epithelium Promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition, Tumorigenicity and Metastasis
Researchers demonstrate that the expression levels and subcellular distribution of giant obscurins are altered in human breast cancer biopsies compared with matched normal samples. Stable clones of non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells lacking giant obscurins fail to form adhesion junctions, undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and generate >100-μm mammospheres bearing markers of cancer-initiating cells. [Oncogene] Abstract

Darinaparsin Inhibits Prostate Tumor Initiating Cells and Du 145 Xenografts and Is an Inhibitor of Hedgehog Signaling
Researchers report that darinaparsin an organic derivative of arsenic trioxide is cytotoxic to prostate cancer cell lines as well as fresh prostate cancer cells from patients at low micromolar concentrations and importantly inhibits the tumor initiating cell sub populations. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

ΔNP63α Transcriptionally Activates Chemokine Receptor 4 (CXCR4) Expression to Regulate Breast Cancer Stem Cell Activity and Chemotaxis
Scientists sought to identify novel targets of ΔNP63α that confer cancer stem cell and pro-metastatic properties. Data identified the gene encoding CXCR4 as a transcriptional target of ΔNP63α. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract

PDGF Receptor Alpha Inhibition Induces Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells Refractory to Anti-Notch and Anti-EGFR Treatment
Researchers investigated gene expression and function of Notch1, EGFR and PDGFR to determine their role among glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor core- vs. peritumor tissue-derived cancer stem cells of six cases of GBM. [Mol Cancer] Abstract | Full Article

Disulfiram Modulates Stemness and Metabolism of Brain Tumor Initiating Cells in Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors
Scientists evaluated the therapeutic potential of aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition using disulfiram against brain tumor initiating cells from atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors. [Neuro Oncol] Abstract

Overexpression of NRG1 Promotes Progression of Gastric Cancer by Regulating the Self-Renewal of Cancer Stem Cells
Gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts were cultured directly from gastric cancer patients. The self-renewal of GCSCs was assayed by sphere formation assay and in vivo tumorigenicity. Cancer-associated fibroblasts increased the self-renewal of GCSCs by secreting neuregulin1 (NRG1). [J Gastroenterol] Abstract

Berberis libanotica Ehrenb Extract Shows Anti-Neoplastic Effects on Prostate Cancer Stem/Progenitor Cells
Researchers tested the effect of B. libanotica Ehrenb on prostate cancer cells and their data indicated that this extract induced significant reduction in cell viability and inhibited the proliferation of human prostate cancer cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner. [PLoS One] Full Article

Comparative Proteomics Analysis of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells
Scientists identified novel biomarkers of gastric cancer stem cells for clinical diagnosis using proteomics technology. Cancer stem cell-like side population cells, OCUM-12/SP cells, OCUM-2MD3/SP cells, and their parent OCUM-12 cells and OCUM-2MD3 cells were used. [PLoS One] Full Article

EBV-Associated T/NK-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorder in Children and Young Adults Has Similar Molecular Signature to Extranodal Nasal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma but Shows Distinctive Stem Cell-Like Phenotype
Down-regulation of EZH2 in T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in children and young adults (TNKLPDC) cell lines lead to increase in apoptosis and decrease in tumor viability, suggesting that EZH2 may be important for the survival of TNKLPDC cells and hence potentially a useful therapeutic target. [Leuk Lymphoma] Abstract

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Felicitex Therapeutics and Selvita Initiate Strategic Collaboration to Target Cancer Quiescence
Felicitex Therapeutics and Selvita announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop breakthrough personalized cancer therapeutics for some of the deadliest and most resistant cancers, such as pancreatic, colon, ovarian, lung and hematopoietic tumors. [Felicitex Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

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Postdoctoral Fellow – Energy Metabolism and Nutrient Sensing in Cancer Development and Stem Cells (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Biology (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Position – Intestinal Stem Cell Biology and Gastrointestinal Malignancies (Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells and Cancer (Brigham & Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Gene Regulation in Breast Cancer/Stem Cell Biology (UC College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Leukemic Stem Cells (BC Cancer Agency)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Pennsylvania)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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