Ovarian cancer cells stimulate uPA gene expression in fibroblastic stromal cells via multiple paracrine and autocrine mechanisms.

Objectives: Expression of uPA mRNA is massively up-regulated in the stroma of poorly differentiated ovarian tumors. We hypothesized that this expression was induced by paracrine signals from the epithelial tumor cells, and established an in vitro model of ovarian cancer microenvironment to study intercellular cross-talk.

Methods: ES-2 clear cell carcinoma cells were grown in tissue culture inserts in a double-chamber system with fibroblastic stromal LEP cells embedded in Matrigel.