Mesenchymal gene program-expressing ovarian cancer spheroids exhibit enhanced mesothelial clearance.

ABSTRACT: Metastatic dissemination of ovarian tumors involves the invasion of tumor cell clusters into the mesothelial cell lining of peritoneal cavity organs; however, the tumor-specific factors that allow ovarian cancer cells to spread are unclear. We used an in vitro assay that models the initial step of ovarian cancer metastasis, clearance of the mesothelial cell layer, to examine the clearance ability of a large panel of both established and primary ovarian tumor cells. Comparison of the gene and protein expression profiles of clearance-competent and clearance-incompetent cells revealed that mesenchymal genes are enriched in tumor populations that display strong clearance activity, while epithelial genes are enriched in those with weak or undetectable activity. Overexpression of transcription f

SUBMITTER: Davidowitz RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4038562 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature