Project description:We present evidence for an autocrine cytokine network in human ovarian cancer that has paracrine actions on the tumour microenvironment. In experiments using bioinformatics analysis of large gene expression array datasets and ovarian cancer biopsies, we found that the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12, are co-regulated in malignant cells. We named this co-regulation the TNF network. We had access to a unique set of ascites cell samples from patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated with the therapeutic anti-human TNF-α antibody infliximab. Serial samples pre and during treatment were obtained during paracentesis (drainage of ascites fluid for symptomatic relief). In nine of these patients there was sufficient mRNA available for gene expression profile analysis before treatment. The Affymetrix GeneChip Human Genome U133Plus 2.0 arrays were used to define gene expression profiles in each of the ascites cell samples.
Project description:We present evidence for an autocrine cytokine network in human ovarian cancer that has paracrine actions on the tumour microenvironment. In experiments using bioinformatics analysis of large gene expression array datasets and ovarian cancer biopsies, we found that the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12, are co-regulated in malignant cells. We named this co-regulation the TNF network. We had access to a unique set of ascites cell samples from patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated with the therapeutic anti-human TNF-α antibody infliximab. Serial samples pre and during treatment were obtained during paracentesis (drainage of ascites fluid for symptomatic relief). In nine of these patients there was sufficient mRNA available for gene expression profile analysis before treatment.
Project description:To identify the potential ovarian cancer stem cell gene expression profile from isolated side population of fresh ascites obtained from women with high-grade advanced stage papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma Microarrays were used to interrogate the differentially expressed genes between side population (SP) and main population (MP) isolated from fresh ascites obtained from women with high-grade advanced stage papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma, and the results were analyzed by paired T-test using BRB-ArrayTools
Project description:To identify the potential ovarian cancer stem cell gene expression profile from isolated side population of fresh ascites obtained from women with high-grade advanced stage papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma Microarrays were used to interrogate the differentially expressed genes between side population (SP) and main population (MP) isolated from fresh ascites obtained from women with high-grade advanced stage papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma, and the results were analyzed by paired T-test using BRB-ArrayTools Gene expression profiling was completed for 10 SP and MP pairs using the Affymetrix human U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays
Project description:Despite extensive clinical endeavors to enhance high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) detection and treatment, an alarming half of diagnosed women succumb annually to this disease. Significantly, nearly all HGSOC cases manifest ascites at diagnosis, a poor prognostic indicator. Malignant ascites production arises as ovarian cancer cells shed from the primary tumor, creating a hostile environment that endangers their survival. Consequently, cancer cells aggregate into tumorspheres, the principal metastatic units in HGSOC. The molecular mechanisms that tumorspheres use to overcome the ascites bottleneck and metastasize are still poorly understood. Studying tumorspheres isolated from ascites samples from treatment naïve HGSOC patients, as well as three-dimensional spheroid in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer cell models, we report that the Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) ligand and its receptor S1PR1 axis is especially relevant in ovarian tumorspheres, where it promotes an autocrine positive loop, serving as their primary proliferative mechanism via MEK1/2-ERK activation. Our findings demonstrate that the S1P-S1PR1-MEK1/2 pathway confers ovarian tumorspheres a selective advantage within the ascites environment and, consequently, increases their metastatic potential.
Project description:The purpose of our study was to explore the proteomic profile of ascites exosomes from Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and to find potential prognosis markers for EOC.
Project description:Ovarian cancer is characterized by transcoelomic metastasis into the peritoneal cavity. The peritoneal malignant ascites is enriched with ovarian cancer cells and a small amount of tumor-associated immune cells which create a unique microenvironment actively contributing to progression of the disease. However, it is remain unclear how chemonaive and post-chemotherapy ovarian cancer ascitic fluids influence on cancer cells. To address this issue, we performed RNAseq analysis of primary cultures of ovarian cancer cells incubated for 3 days in the presence of ascites from the same patients before and after chemotherapy. We found that ascites after therapy causes a significant changes in transcriptomic profiles of cancer cells, and these changes are similar in samples obtained from all patients (n=4). Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in tumor cells incubated with ascites after chemotherapy identified prominent up-regulation of genes associated with DNA repair, mitotic cell cycle regulation, and cell cycle checkpoints. These findings demonstrate how ascitic fluids persisted after chemotherapy can contribute to the emergence of tumor chemoresistance during short time period.
Project description:Ascites is an abnormal fluid that accumulates in the peritoneal cavity of more than 90% of patients with metastatic ovarian cancer. Despite its common occurance, little is known about its effects on detached and metastasizing ovarian cancer cells, which frequently metastasize to the peritoneum. This experiment aims to identify any transcriptional changes that occur in ovarian cancer cell lines as a result of exposure to ovarian cancer ascites and whether the fibrate drug, bezafibrate had any reversing effect on the ascites-mediated changes