AI Article Synopsis

  • Ovarian cancer relapse often leads to tumors spreading throughout the peritoneal cavity, and this study used a mouse model to explore how ovarian cancer cells interact with their surrounding environment.
  • The research employed advanced imaging techniques to observe how cancer cells form mixed spheroids and attach to various organs, emphasizing the role of cell adhesion in tumor growth.
  • A three-dimensional simulation model was created to analyze tumor behavior and suggest that factors like cell adhesion and oxygen levels significantly influence tumor growth patterns and invasion, highlighting the potential for targeted therapies for ovarian cancer relapse.

Article Abstract

Ovarian cancer relapse is often characterized by metastatic spread throughout the peritoneal cavity with tumors attached to multiple organs. In this study, interaction of ovarian cancer cells with the peritoneal tumor microenvironment was evaluated in a xenograft model based on intraperitoneal injection of fluorescent SKOV3.ip1 ovarian cancer cells. Intra-vital microscopy of mixed GFP-red fluorescent protein (RFP) cell populations injected into the peritoneum demonstrated that cancer cells aggregate and attach as mixed spheroids, emphasizing the importance of homotypic adhesion in tumor formation. Electron microscopy provided high resolution structural information about local attachment sites. Experimental measurements from the mouse model were used to build a three-dimensional cellular Potts ovarian tumor model (OvTM) that examines ovarian cancer cell attachment, chemotaxis, growth, and vascularization. OvTM simulations provide insight into the relative influence of cancer cell-cell adhesion, oxygen availability, and local architecture on tumor growth and morphology. Notably, tumors on the mesentery, omentum, or spleen readily invade the "open" architecture, while tumors attached to the gut encounter barriers that restrict invasion and instead rapidly expand into the peritoneal space. Simulations suggest that rapid neovascularization of SKOV3.ip1 tumors is triggered by constitutive release of angiogenic factors in the absence of hypoxia. This research highlights the importance of cellular adhesion and tumor microenvironment in the seeding of secondary ovarian tumors on diverse organs within the peritoneal cavity. Results of the OvTM simulations indicate that invasion is strongly influenced by features underlying the mesothelial lining at different sites, but is also affected by local production of chemotactic factors. The integrated in vivo mouse model and computer simulations provide a unique platform for evaluating targeted therapies for ovarian cancer relapse.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3656359PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2013.00097DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

ovarian cancer
20
cancer cells
12
ovarian
8
ovarian tumor
8
cancer relapse
8
peritoneal cavity
8
tumors attached
8
tumor microenvironment
8
adhesion tumor
8
mouse model
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!