CD44 Regulates Formation of Spheroids and Controls Organ-Specific Metastatic Colonization in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma.

Disseminating epithelial ovarian cancer cells often become assembled into spheroids prior to their arrival at metastatic sites within the peritoneal cavity. Although epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy, the mechanisms regulating formation and metastatic potential of spheroids are poorly understood. We show that expression of a cell surface glycoprotein CD44 is an important contributing factor for spheroid formation and spheroid adhesion to mesothelial cells, and its loss impairs mesenteric metastasis.

Regulation of DNA damage repair and lipid uptake by CXCR1 in epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Failure of currently used cytotoxic chemotherapy is one of the main reasons behind high mortality from metastatic high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. We found that high expression of a receptor for fractalkine (CXCR1) significantly correlated with shorter survival of patients with serous ovarian carcinoma treated with cytotoxic DNA damage chemotherapies, and reduction of CXCR1 expression resulted in sensitization to several DNA damaging modalities, including x-ray radiation and cisplatin. Here, we show that CXCR1 plays a role in double-strand DNA break response and repair by regulating expression of RAD50 by a MYC-dependent mechanism.

The miR-200 Family: Versatile Players in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

The role of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in the pathology of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been extensively studied. Many miRNAs differentially expressed in EOC as compared to normal controls have been identified, prompting further inquiry into their role in the disease. miRNAs belonging to the miR-200 family have repeatedly surfaced over multiple profiling studies.

Chemokine receptors in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Ovarian carcinoma is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy with very poor rate of survival, and it is characterized by the presence of vast incurable peritoneal metastasis. Studies of the role of chemokine receptors, a family of proteins belonging to the group of G protein-coupled receptors, in ovarian carcinoma strongly placed this family of membrane receptors as major regulators of progression of this malignancy. In this review, we will discuss the roles that chemokine-receptor interactions play to support angiogenesis, cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, invasion, metastasis, and immune evasion in progression of ovarian carcinoma.