Method of the Year 2009, pluripotency

Nature Methods' Method of the Year 2009 goes to induced pluripotency for its potential for biological discovery. This series of articles—and the related video—showcase how induced pluripotency is coming into its own in 2009 as a tool for discovery in both basic and disease biology and explore the incredible impact this area promises to have in biological research.

January 2010, Volume 7 No 1 pp1-85

IAP Regulation of Metastasis

Cancer Cell, Volume 17, Issue 1, 53-64, 19 January 2010 | Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. | 10.1016/j.ccr.2009.11.021

Swarna Mehrotra, Lucia R. Languino, Christopher M. Raskett, Arthur M. Mercurio, Takehiko Dohi, Dario C. Altieri

* Highlights
* Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis (IAP) proteins mediate tumor cell invasion and metastasis
* This pathway requires NF-κB activation and is independent of IAP cytoprotection
* IAP tumor cell invasion involves signaling by fibronectin-β1 integrin and FAK, Src.

* Summary
* Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis (IAP) proteins contribute to tumor progression, but the requirements of this pathway are not understood. Here, we show that intermolecular cooperation between XIAP and survivin stimulates tumor cell invasion and promotes metastasis. This pathway is independent of IAP inhibition of cell death. Instead, a survivin-XIAP complex activates NF-κB, which in turn leads to increased fibronectin gene expression, signaling by β1 integrins, and activation of cell motility kinases FAK and Src. Therefore, IAPs are direct metastasis genes, and their antagonists could provide antimetastatic therapies in patients with cancer.

Journal stem cell work 'blocked'

By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News

Billions of pounds of public money is spent on stem cell research

Stem cell experts say they believe a small group of scientists is effectively vetoing high quality science from publication in journals.

In some cases they say it might be done to deliberately stifle research that is in competition with their own.

It has also emerged that 14 leading stem cell researchers have written an open letter to journal editors in order to highlight their dissatisfaction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8490291.stm