January 18 Research Roundup: Skin Cancer, Turning Cancer Cells Into Fat Cells, and a Longevity Test
Biospace.com | January 18, 2019
Researchers with American University have identified genetic factors that lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. They published their work in the journal Oncogenesis. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of cancer in the U.S. and has the highest mortality rate of non-melanoma skin cancers. The researchers, Katie DeCicco-Skinner and her team, described the interaction between a cell signaling pathway called MET and the TpI2 gene and how it contributes to skin cancer progression.
“It’s critical we obtain a better understanding of the biological mechanisms by which skin cancers develop,” DeCicco-Skinner stated. “The incidence of all skin cancers has drastically increased over the last several decades and yet much is still unknown about the genetic causes that lead to development or progression of these cancers.”
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are typically found in bone marrow in adults. They play a key role in repairing damaged organs. A group of researchers led by Prasad Shastri and Melika Sarem of the Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Freiburg published research into how MSCs function in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. They worked with Oliver Otto, at the University of Greifswald.