Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer: Role of Extracellular Matrix

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 2770

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Interests: ovarian cancer; tumor microenvironment; organoids; biomarker discovery; drug discovery

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
Interests: ovarian cancers; drug discovery; anti-cancer molecules
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer with an emphasis on the extracellular matrix component. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among US women. Despite recent advances in chemotherapy, most patients develop chemoresistance and succumb to the disease. The complex and highly heterogenous microenvironment of ovarian cancer is a key factor in chemoresistance. Hence, understanding the ovarian tumor microenvironment and its components, such as cells, extracellular matrix proteins, and growth factors, holds tremendous potential for the design of novel therapies.

The extracellular matrix consists of a number of proteins which play a crucial role in tumor cells invasion and dissemination to the peritoneal cavity. In addition to the protein components, the extracellular matrix is regulated by conditions such as hypoxia, exposure to ovulatory fluid, etc., all of which play a role in the interactions between tumor cells and extracellular matrix.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: cellular models (3D organoids models, co-cultures, spheroids), response to chemotherapy, drugs targeting the tumor microenvironment. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Amrita Salvi
Dr. Joanna E. Burdette
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ovarian cancer
  • tumor microenvironment
  • immune therapy
  • 3D organoids
  • extracellular matrix
  • PARP inhibitors
  • chemoresistance
  • fallopian tube
  • cancer stem cells
  • metastasis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 1053 KiB  
Review
Defining the Role of Metastasis-Initiating Cells in Promoting Carcinogenesis in Ovarian Cancer
by Ji Wang, James C. Ford and Anirban K. Mitra
Biology 2023, 12(12), 1492; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12121492 - 5 Dec 2023
Viewed by 2274
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy with a high prevalence of transcoelomic metastasis. Metastasis is a multi-step process and only a small percentage of cancer cells, metastasis-initiating cells (MICs), have the capacity to finally establish metastatic lesions. These MICs maintain a certain [...] Read more.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy with a high prevalence of transcoelomic metastasis. Metastasis is a multi-step process and only a small percentage of cancer cells, metastasis-initiating cells (MICs), have the capacity to finally establish metastatic lesions. These MICs maintain a certain level of stemness that allows them to differentiate into other cell types with distinct transcriptomic profiles and swiftly adapt to external stresses. Furthermore, they can coordinate with the microenvironment, through reciprocal interactions, to invade and establish metastases. Therefore, identifying, characterizing, and targeting MICs is a promising strategy to counter the spread of ovarian cancer. In this review, we provided an overview of OC MICs in the context of characterization, identification through cell surface markers, and their interactions with the metastatic niche to promote metastatic colonization. Full article
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