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View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC), standard platinum-based therapy is largely ineffective. We sought to identify possible mechanisms of oxaliplatin resistance of MOC and develop strategies to overcome this resistance. A kinome-based siRNA library screen was carried out using human MOC cells to identify novel targets to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe standard treatment for high-grade serous ovarian cancer is primary debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy. The extent of metastasis and invasive potential of lesions can influence the outcome of these primary surgeries. Here, we explored the underlying mechanisms that could increase metastatic potential in ovarian cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary debulking surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment for ovarian cancer. Residual disease after primary surgery is associated with poor patient outcome. Previously, we discovered ADH1B to be a molecular biomarker of residual disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMounting clinical and preclinical evidence supports a key role for sustained adrenergic signaling in the tumor microenvironment as a driver of tumor growth and progression. However, the mechanisms by which adrenergic neurotransmitters are delivered to the tumor microenvironment are not well understood. Here we present evidence for a feed-forward loop whereby adrenergic signaling leads to increased tumoral innervation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngiogenesis inhibitors are important for cancer therapy, but clinically approved anti-angiogenic agents have shown only modest efficacy and can compromise wound healing. This necessitates the development of novel anti-angiogenesis therapies. Here, we show significantly increased EGFL6 expression in tumor versus wound or normal endothelial cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThrombocytosis is present in more than 30% of patients with solid malignancies and correlates with worsened patient survival. Tumor cell interaction with various cellular components of the tumor microenvironment including platelets is crucial for tumor growth and metastasis. Although it is known that platelets can infiltrate into tumor tissue, secrete pro-angiogenic and pro-tumorigenic factors and thereby increase tumor growth, the precise molecular interactions between platelets and metastatic cancer cells are not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdrenergic signaling is known to promote tumor growth and metastasis, but the effects on tumor stroma are not well understood. An unbiased bioinformatics approach analyzing tumor samples from patients with known biobehavioral profiles identified a prominent stromal signature associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in those with a high biobehavioral risk profile (high Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] score and low social support). In several models of epithelial ovarian cancer, daily restraint stress resulted in significantly increased CAF activation and was abrogated by a nonspecific β-blocker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The PI3K/AKT/P70S6K pathway is an attractive therapeutic target in ovarian and uterine malignancies because of its high rate of deregulation and key roles in tumor growth. Here, we examined the biological effects of MSC2363318A, which is a novel inhibitor of AKT1, AKT3, and P70S6K.
Methods: Orthotopic murine models of ovarian and uterine cancer were utilized to study the effect of MSC2363318A on survival and regression.
Current antiangiogenesis therapy relies on inhibiting newly developed immature tumor blood vessels and starving tumor cells. This strategy has shown transient and modest efficacy. Here, we report a better approach to target cancer-associated endothelial cells (ECs), reverse permeability and leakiness of tumor blood vessels, and improve delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the tumor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvarian cancer is one of the most lethal malignant tumors in women. The prognosis of ovarian cancer patients depends, in part, on their response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Our recent analysis of genomics and clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas demonstrated that somatic mutations of ADAMTS 1, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 18 and L1 genes were associated with higher sensitivity to platinum and longer progression-free survival, overall survival, and platinum-free survival duration in 512 patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent studies in patients with ovarian cancer suggest that tumor growth may be accelerated following cessation of antiangiogenesis therapy; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of therapy withdrawal to those of continuous treatment with various antiangiogenic agents. Cessation of therapy with pazopanib, bevacizumab, and the human and murine anti-VEGF antibody B20 was associated with substantial tumor growth in mouse models of ovarian cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA deeper mechanistic understanding of tumour angiogenesis regulation is needed to improve current anti-angiogenic therapies. Here we present evidence from systems-based miRNA analyses of large-scale patient data sets along with in vitro and in vivo experiments that miR-192 is a key regulator of angiogenesis. The potent anti-angiogenic effect of miR-192 stems from its ability to globally downregulate angiogenic pathways in cancer cells through regulation of EGR1 and HOXB9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The clinical and biological effects of metabolic alterations in cancer are not fully understood.
Methods: In high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) samples (n = 101), over 170 metabolites were profiled and compared with normal ovarian tissues (n = 15). To determine NAT8L gene expression across different cancer types, we analyzed the RNA expression of cancer types using RNASeqV2 data available from the open access The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) website (http://www.
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) significantly influence the development and regulation of genome expression in cells. Here, we demonstrate the role of lncRNA ceruloplasmin (NRCP) in cancer metabolism and elucidate functional effects leading to increased tumor progression. NRCP was highly upregulated in ovarian tumors, and knockdown of NRCP resulted in significantly increased apoptosis, decreased cell proliferation, and decreased glycolysis compared with control cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Chronic adrenergic activation has been shown to associate with adverse clinical outcomes in cancer patients, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The focus of the current study was to determine the functional and biologic effects of adrenergic pathways on response to chemotherapy in the context of ovarian cancer.
Experimental Design: Increased DUSP1 production by sympathetic nervous system mediators (e.
Recent advances in nanotechnology have established its importance in several areas including medicine. The myriad of applications in oncology range from detection and diagnosis to drug delivery and treatment. Although nanotechnology has attracted a lot of attention, the practical application of nanotechnology to clinical cancer care is still in its infancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: XPO1 inhibitors have shown promise for cancer treatment, and yet the underlying mechanisms for the antitumor effects are not well understood. In this study, we explored the usefulness of selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINE) compounds that are specific inhibitors of XPO1.
Experimental Design: We used proteomic analysis in XPO1 inhibitor-treated ovarian cancer cell lines and examined antitumor effects in ovarian and breast cancer mouse models.
Cancer-related deregulation of miRNA biogenesis has been suggested, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we report a previously unrecognized effect of hypoxia in the downregulation of Drosha and Dicer in cancer cells that leads to dysregulation of miRNA biogenesis and increased tumour progression. We show that hypoxia-mediated downregulation of Drosha is dependent on ETS1/ELK1 transcription factors.
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