Synopsis
US researchers have uncovered high-risk cells in the fallopian tubes that may lead to ovarian cancer, paving the way for improved detection and prevention strategies.Key Takeaways
- Identification of high-risk cells in fallopian tubes.
- Potential for better prevention and detection of HGSOC.
- Understanding cancer biology is crucial for patient outcomes.
- High-risk MSCs may contribute to cancer initiation.
- Current limitations in early detection and prevention strategies.
New Delhi, March 15 (NationPress) A group of US scientists has discovered high-risk cells within the fallopian tubes that could potentially initiate a lethal variant of ovarian cancer.
This identification of the high-risk cells—a specific category of progenitor cells located in the supportive tissue of the fallopian tubes, known as stroma—could lead to improved strategies for preventing and identifying high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), according to the research team from the University of Pittsburgh.
HGSOC originates in the fallopian tubes and can disseminate to the ovaries, representing the most prevalent form of ovarian cancer.
“Ovarian cancer stands as a significant contributor to mortality from gynecologic cancers; however, early detection methods are currently nonexistent, and preventive measures are limited to surgical castration, applicable only to women at high risk,” stated Lan Coffman, Associate Professor of malignant hematology and medical oncology at the Pitt School of Medicine.
“Grasping the fundamental biology behind ovarian cancer development is vital for enhancing patient outcomes,” Coffman remarked in a publication found in the journal Cancer Discovery.
The process of HGSOC initiates in the fallopian tubes when healthy epithelial cells undergo transformation into precursory lesions termed serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC). These STIC lesions frequently evolve into HGSOC tumors.
To investigate further, Coffman and her team focused on the stroma—the non-cancerous connective tissue that facilitates tumor growth. Within the stroma associated with ovarian cancer, a type of progenitor cell, typically involved in healthy tissue growth and repair (known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)), is reprogrammed by cancer cells to foster tumor progression.
Additional analysis indicated that cells resembling cancer-associated MSCs found in the fallopian tubes of healthy women exhibited an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Factors contributing to this risk include advanced age or mutations in the BRCA gene—implying their involvement in cancer initiation.
Upon introducing these high-risk MSCs into organoids, or miniature organs, derived from patient fallopian tube tissue, healthy epithelial cells were seen to convert into malignant cells.
“High-risk MSCs induce DNA damage in epithelial cells and subsequently assist those mutated cells in surviving,” Coffman explained. “It creates an ideal environment for cancer initiation.”
