Weekly reads: cancer stem cells, Bik, & more

As many of you know I am a cancer survivor myself so studying cancer stem cells has meaning for me on another level.

Cancer is also the possible side effect most patients worry about when considering going to an unproven stem cell clinic. I’ve got a new video up on possible stem cell side effects on our YouTube channel, which I’ve pasted below.

Please check out the other videos too.

Lately cancer stem cells have been more on my mind so let’s start with some new papers in that area.

Cancer stem cells

PBX1-directed stem cell transcriptional program drives tumor progression in myeloproliferative neoplasm, Stem Cell Reports. Scientists can be funny people. For instance, it’s not unusual for us to get attached to genes or specific types of cells. So in skimming the literature I had to pause at a paper on one of my favorite genes, PBX1. I spent most of my graduate career studying PBX1 in Mark Kamps’ lab. We also studied its oncogenic fusion form E2A-PBX1 that is found in many cases of pediatric pre-B cell ALL. PBX1 is a homeodomain protein distantly related to HOX proteins. Both it and E2A-PBX1 can dimerize with HOX proteins to regulate gene expression. It’s fun to read about the continuing research in this area like the paper noted above.

Comparative epigenetic analysis of tumour initiating cells and syngeneic EPSC-derived neural stem cells in glioblastoma, Nat. Comm.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal the heterogeneity and dynamic of cancer stem-like cells during breast tumor progression, Cell Death & Disease.

SUMO wrestling cancer stem cells, Cell Chemical Bio.

More papers & resources

StemBond hydrogels control the mechanical microenvironment for pluripotent stem cells, Nat. Comm.

Differential m⁶A RNA landscapes across hematopoiesis reveal a role for IGF2BP2 in preserving hematopoietic stem cell function, Cell Stem Cell.

New ISCT webinar: Adverse Effects of Unproven Therapies 

A summary of the new ISSCR guidelines from Christine Mummery and Eric Anthony: New guidelines for embryo and stem cell research. I’ve been concerned that some of these new guidelines are too permissive. For instance, the lifting of the 14-day rule on human embryo growth in the lab without a concrete replacement leaves a lot of room for problematic research.

I’m also concerned about the lack of firmness on human heritable CRISPR from ISSCR. It seems like they are saying when the time comes technically that it would be OK in some limited cases, which to me seems like it’s leaving the door open to serious issues.

Being a skeptical scientist and paying for it

BuzzFeed has a feature on Elisabeth Bik: A Data Sleuth Challenged A Powerful COVID Scientist. Then He Came After Her. Elisabeth is a treasure in the biomedical sciences as a proponent of scientific integrity. It’s a great article but you might find yourself feeling queasy at some of the abuse she has had to put up with, especially in recent years related to hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19.

It resonated for me as someone who also fact-checks sometimes powerful people and has at times also paid a price. You might be interested in my post on being a skeptical scientist.