Publications by authors named "Christina Wefers"

Ascites is a prominent feature of ovarian cancer and could serve as liquid biopsy to assess the immune status of patients. Tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes are correlated with improved survival in ovarian cancer. To investigate whether immune cells in ascites are associated with patient outcome, we analyzed the amount of dendritic cell (DC) and T cell subsets in ascites from ovarian cancer patients diagnosed with high-grade serous cancer (HGSC).

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Despite advances in therapy, ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy and prognosis has not substantially improved over the past 3 decades. Immunotherapy is a promising new treatment option. However, the immunosuppressive cancer microenvironment must be overcome for immunotherapy to be successful.

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Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified as the source of tumor growth and disease recurrence. Eradication of CSCs is thus essential to achieve durable responses, but CSCs are resistant to current anti-tumor therapies. Novel therapeutic approaches that specifically target CSCs will, therefore, be crucial to improve patient outcome.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lipid metabolism changes in ovarian cancer lead to altered levels of lipid intermediates in ascitic fluid, impacting T cell function.
  • Ascites-derived T cells do not proliferate well but can regain function after 10 days in normal culture conditions.
  • The study indicates that soluble factors and specific lipids in ascites may contribute to immune dysfunction, suggesting potential targets for future treatments.
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Systemic cancer spread is preceded by the establishment of a permissive microenvironment in the target tissue of metastasis - the premetastatic niche. As crucial players in establishment of the pre-metastatic niche, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) release S100A8/A9, an exosomal protein that contributes to metastasis, angiogenesis, and immune suppression. We report the application of antibody-based single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for detection of S100A8/A9 as an imaging marker for pre-metastatic tissue priming.

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Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal tumors in women. Due to a lack of symptoms and adequate screening methods, patients are diagnosed at advanced stages with extensive tumor burden (Jelovac and Armstrong, 2011). Interestingly, ovarian cancer metastasis is generally found within the peritoneal cavity rather than other tissues (Lengyel, 2010; Tan , 2006 ).

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Ovarian cancer is a devastating disease with a high relapse rate. Due to a mostly asymptomatic early stage and lack of early diagnostic tools, the disease is usually diagnosed in a late stage. Surgery and chemotherapy with taxanes and platinum compounds are very effective in reducing tumor burden.

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