Targeting microRNAs makes cancer stem cells more susceptible to chemotherapies
Researchers in Italy have identified a pair of microRNA molecules that help maintain a population of cancerous stem cells that drive the growth of breast cancers and initiate tumor relapse after treatment. The study, which will be published April 2 in the
Journal of Cell Biology (
JCB), reveals that targeting these microRNAs makes cancer stem cells more susceptible to some chemotherapies and could potentially improve the prognosis of patients with aggressive forms of breast cancer.
Many tumors contain a small population of cancer stem cells that initiate tumor growth and give rise to the various cell types found in tumors. Moreover, because cancer stem cells are often resistant to radio- and chemotherapies, they can survive and promote tumor relapse and metastasis after initial rounds of treatment. In breast cancer, for example, tumors containing a relatively high number of cancer stem cells have a mu
Italy
Milan
Lombardia
Italian
Francesco-nicassio
Emily-henderson
Center-coordinator-of-the
Italian-institute-of-technology
European-institute-of-oncology
University-of-milan
Cell-biology
Principal-investigator
Increasing Drought Tolerance
University of Nevada, Reno research addressing future population growth and food shortages
After several years of experimentation, scientists have engineered thale cress, or Arabidopsis thaliana, to behave like a succulent, improving water-use efficiency, salinity tolerance and reducing the effects of drought. The tissue succulence engineering method devised for this small flowering plant can be used in other plants to improve drought and salinity tolerance with the goal of moving this approach into food and bioenergy crops.
“Water-storing tissue is one of the most successful adaptations in plants that enables them to survive long periods of drought. This anatomical trait will become more important as global temperatures rise, increasing the magnitude and duration of drought events during the 21st century,” said University of Nevada, Reno Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professor John Cushman, co-author of a new scientific paper on plant
California
United-states
South-korea
Kangwon
Kangwon-do
Republic-of-korea
Cheol-yim
John-cushman
Jesse-mayer
Kangwon-national-university
Department-of-energy
Wiley-online-library