Cadherin News and Research

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E-cadherin may regulate up to 25% of genes within embryonic stem cells

A protein molecule that 'glues' cells together and so has a key role in cancer is also responsible for many other important functions of cells, a new study has found.

15 Jul 2011

Scientists discover enzyme that can regulate breast cancer development

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified an enzyme that appears to be a significant regulator of breast cancer development. Called PTPN23, the enzyme is a member of a family called protein tyrosine phosphatases, or PTPs, that plays a fundamental role in switching cell signaling on and off.

1 Jul 2011

Senescent melanoma cells express an inflammatory secretome

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive and notoriously chemoresistant form of cancer. In this paper, Ohanna et al. reveal that anti-melanoma drugs may, paradoxically, induce a senescence-associated secretory profile ("secretome") that can ultimately promote metastasis and contribute to melanoma relapse.

6 Jun 2011

Stem cell pluripotency depends on E-cadherin molecule

Researchers of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule - E-cadherin - hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue".

27 May 2011

CTNNB1 activation can improve colorectal cancer survival in obese patients

Among obese patients, activation of the protein biomarker CTNNB1 was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas post-diagnosis physical activity was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival among patients negative for CTNNB1, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Apr 2011

New findings can lead to better understanding of neurological development, cancer metastasis

By shedding new light on how cells migrate in the developing brain, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center also may have found a new mechanism by which other types of cells, including cancer cells, travel within the body.

25 Apr 2011

Exposure to air pollution may alter women's DNA and cause premenopausal breast cancer

Exposure to air pollution early in life and when a woman gives birth to her first child may alter her DNA and may be associated with premenopausal breast cancer later in life, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

21 Apr 2011

New study provides insights into epiboly mechanisms linked with wound healing, cancer

Avian embryos could join the list of model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, thanks to the results of a study published this month in the journal Developmental Dynamics.

24 Mar 2011

Researchers use computers to capture chemical signal structure that triggers metastatic cancer

In cancer and other pathological diseases, researchers are discovering that packaging is important: specifically, how DNA - about two meters long when unwound and stretched - coils up and compacts neatly inside the nucleus of a cell.

15 Feb 2011

Study unveils surprising mechanism that controls brain formation

A study from The Scripps Research Institute has unveiled a surprising mechanism that controls brain formation. The findings have implications for understanding a host of diseases, including some forms of mental retardation, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism.

10 Feb 2011

Combination therapy improves survival rates in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

A combination therapy for treating cancer discovered at the University of Colorado Cancer Center showed improved survival rates in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial run by Syndax Pharmaceuticals.

16 Dec 2010

Lack of strong molecular 'glue' allows tumour cells to break away and spread

A remarkable discovery into how tumour cells invade normal tissue should lead to vital diagnostic tools and help develop strategies to stop the spread of cancer cells. A new study by scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University reveals that the surface of aggressive tumour cells lack the strong molecular 'glue' responsible for binding normal cells together.

14 Dec 2010

Epigenetic-molecular targeted therapy combination holds promise against advanced lung cancer

A new study shows that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. This symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and The University of Chicago.

10 Dec 2010

Entinostat plus erlotinib improves survival in NSCLC patients with elevated E-cadherin

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, announces clinical results from ENCORE 401, a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial, in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The results show that there was a survival advantage in the subset of patients with elevated E-cadherin (a molecular marker of epithelial tumors) receiving entinostat in combination with erlotinib (Tarceva®).

10 Dec 2010

Scientists identify gene variants associated with eating disorder

Scientists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have identified both common and rare gene variants associated with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.

20 Nov 2010

Research may help develop new therapies for aggressive prostate cancer

A monoclonal antibody targeting a well known cell surface protein inhibited prostate cancer growth and metastasis in an aggressive form of the disease that did not respond to hormone therapy, according to a study by researchers with the UCLA Department of Urology and UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

9 Nov 2010

New approach to treat castration resistant prostate cancer

9 Nov 2010

Researchers explain how adiponectin prevents stress-induced damage in heart

One of the many advantages of maintaining a normal body weight is having healthy fat, which in turn supports a healthy heart. Fat tissue is increasingly seen as more than just a storage depot - it's also an active secretory organ that normally produces high levels of a cardioprotective hormone called adiponectin. How adiponectin protects the hearts of healthy people has long been a mystery, and now a team led by Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D. and Pilar Ruiz-Lozano, Ph.D. at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveals that the protein T-cadherin is the receptor that anchors adiponectin to heart cells.

2 Nov 2010

Dysfunction of Grhl2 factor may affect epithelial barrier formation, contribute to congenital abnormalities

Scientists of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of MDC and Charit- in Berlin-Buch have gained new insights into the development of epithelial cells and their molecular repertoire.

30 Oct 2010

Scientists suggest E-cadherin can function as oncogene in some cancers

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have found that a molecule long believed to be a beneficial tumor suppressor and thus a potential cancer drug target appears to act as an oncogene in some lethal brain tumors.

28 Oct 2010