Tools for better understanding breast cancer stem cells

Confirmation that primary tissue obtained from patients with breast cancer behaves similarly to those derived from long-term cultured cell lines

2013-06-05

(Press-News.org) A joint project between the Griffith University and the UQ Centre for clinical Research (UQCCR) has characterised an in vitro model that allows further studies on the breast cancer biology.

These studies include the confirmation that primary tissue obtained from patients with breast cancer behaves similarly to those derived from long-term cultured cell lines.

Griffith University's Associate Professor Alejandro Lopez said the team was working towards making breast cancer stem cells the target of specific cancer therapies, to improve current treatment outcomes.

"We have recently described methods to investigate breast cancer stem cells based on research with established cell lines. We confirm in this publication that the properties found previously, also apply for primary tissues derived from breast cancer," Associate Professor Alejandro Lopez said.

"It is not a given that findings obtained from established cell lines could translate into fresh human tissue. Our results here show that cells from both behave similarly.

"We describe a series of methods that progress our understanding of how breast cancer stem cells behave". The findings advance the definition of tools with which we could more appropriately test potential therapies for advanced cancer."

### The work is the product of a successful joint-venture between GU's PhD student Brian Morrison and A/Prof. Alejandro Lopez and UQCCR's Dr. Chanel Smart, Dr Jodi Saunus and Professor Sunil Lakhani. The research paper, "Identification of basal- and luminal-like mammospheres from breast cancer cell lines and primary human breast epithelia" will be published in the open-access online journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday, 5 June 2013 at 7 am (AEST). http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064388.

Media contact: Helen Wright

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Alzheimer's disease drugs linked to reduced risk of heart attacks

2013-06-05

Drugs that are used for treating Alzheimer's disease in its early stages are linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, according to a large study of over 7,000 people with Alzheimer's disease in Sweden. The research, which is published online today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal [1], looked at cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), such as donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine, which are used for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease [2]. Side-effects of ChEIs include a beneficial effect on the vagus nerve, which controls the rate at which ...

Helicopter takes to the skies with the power of thought

2013-06-05

A remote controlled helicopter has been flown through a series of hoops around a college gymnasium in Minnesota. It sounds like your everyday student project; however, there is one caveat…the helicopter was controlled using just the power of thought. The experiments have been performed by researchers hoping to develop future robots that can help restore the autonomy of paralysed victims or those suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. Their study has been published today, 4 June 2013, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Neural Engineering and is accompanied by a video ...

Personality is the result of nurture, not nature, suggests study on birds

2013-06-05

Researchers at the University of Exeter and the University of Hamburg investigated how personality is transferred between generations. They found that foster parents have a greater influence on the personalities of fostered offspring than the genes inherited from birth parents. Dr Nick Royle from the University of Exeter said: "This is one of the first experiments to show that behaviour can be non-genetically transmitted from parents to offspring. Our study shows that in zebra finches, personality traits can be transmitted from one generation to another through behaviour ...

Research teams find genetic variant that could improve warfarin dosing in African-Americans

2013-06-05

In the first genome-wide association study to focus on warfarin dose requirement in African-Americans, a multi-institutional team of researchers has identified a common genetic variation that can help physicians estimate the correct dose of the widely used blood-thinning drug warfarin. The discovery, reported online first in The Lancet, suggests that people of African ancestry who carry this variant—more than 40 percent of the patients enrolled in this study—need significantly less warfarin to obtain optimal benefits compared to those who lack this variant. "Adding ...

Sexual selection in the sea

2013-06-05

Biologists have uncovered new insights into how the male sexual behaviour of the peculiar southern bottletail squid is primed to produce the greatest number of offspring. Recent studies published in the journals Biology Letters and Behavioral Ecology, have revealed the female squid ingest the ejaculates of their mates, a trait never before associated with any species of cephalopod – a group including squid, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus. The studies, led by PhD student Benjamin Wegener and Dr Bob Wong from Monash University's School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration ...

Jury still out on bariatric surgery for patients with moderate obesity and diabetes

2013-06-05

Bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass is associated with better short-term control of abnormal blood sugar and more weight loss than conventional nonsurgical therapy in diabetic patients who are moderately obese, but there is not enough evidence to more widely recommend the procedure, according to a new RAND Corporation study. A review of more than 30 studies found that diabetic people with moderate obesity lost more weight and had better glucose control over two years if they were treated with bariatric surgery rather than non-surgical alternatives like dieting and ...

Little telescope discovers metal-poor cousin of famous planet

2013-06-05

A scientific team led by University of Louisville doctoral student Karen Collins has discovered a hot Saturn-like planet in another solar system 700 light-years away. Collins announced the discovery of exoplanet KELT-6b Tuesday, June 4, during the American Astronomical Society's national meeting in Indianapolis. Astronomers caught sight of the planet when it passed in front of, or "transited," its host star—and they've since discovered that the planet resembles one of the most famous and well-studied transiting planets, HD 209458b. The discovery was made using inexpensive ...

Neuronal regeneration and the 2-part design of nerves

2013-06-05

ANN ARBOR—Researchers at the University of Michigan have evidence that a single gene controls both halves of nerve cells, and their research demonstrates the need to consider that design in the development of new treatments for regeneration of nerve cells. A paper published online in PLOS Biology by U-M Life Sciences Institute faculty member Bing Ye and colleagues shows that manipulating genes of the fruit fly Drosophila to promote the growth of one part of the neuron simultaneously stunts the growth of the other part. Understanding this bimodal nature of neurons ...

USF researchers: Life-producing phosphorus carried to Earth by meteorites

2013-06-05

TAMPA, Fla. (June 4, 2013) – Scientists may not know for certain whether life exists in outer space, but new research from a team of scientists led by a University of South Florida astrobiologist now shows that one key element that produced life on Earth was carried here on meteorites. In an article published in the new edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, USF Assistant Professor of Geology Matthew Pasek and researchers from the University of Washington and the Edinburg Centre for Carbon Innovation, revealed new findings that explain how the ...

Candidate drug provides benefit in SMA animal models

2013-06-05

In a new publication that appears in Human Molecular Genetics, the laboratory of Christine DiDonato, PhD reports on their pharmacological characterization of the drug RG3039, demonstrating that it can extend survival and improve function in two spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) mouse models. They have determined the minimum effective dose and drug action, thus contributing to dose selection and exposure estimates for the first studies with RG3039 in humans. As in cellular assays, the animal studies have shown that drug treatment leads to improvement in nuclear gem/Cajal body ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

What do you do if your dog ingests cocaine? How one researcher is trying to protect pets from future accidents

KIST develops world's first 'high-conductivity amphiphilic MXene' that can be dispersed in a wide range of solvents

Ketamine use in chronic pain unsupported by evidence

Covid infection ages blood vessels, especially in women

People with sensitive personalities more likely to experience mental health problems

Want to improve early detection of diabetes? Look in the same households as those with abnormal blood sugar

Unveiling the gut-heart connection: The role of microbiota in heart failure

Breakthrough insights into tumor angiogenesis and endothelial cell origins

Unlocking the power of mitochondrial biogenesis to combat acute kidney injury

MIT study sheds light on graphite’s lifespan in nuclear reactors

The role of fucosylation in digestive diseases and cancer

Meet Allie, the AI-powered chess bot trained on data from 91 million games

Students’ image tool offers sharper signs, earlier detection in the lab or from space

UBC Okanagan study suggests fasting effects on the body are not the same for everyone

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s Hospital Colorado researchers conduct first prospective study of pediatric EoE patients and disease progression