Front in Oncol: Uncover the molecular mechanisms by which ovarian cancer cells adapt to their surroundings to promote tumor growth

January 19, 2021 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal Frontiers in Oncology, scientists from Virginia Tech and others in the United States detailed how ovarian cancer cells adapt to and multiply in the abdominal environment; The structure of cancer cells can change as the disease progresses from benign to malignant, thus helping cancer cells grow in harmful environments with low nutrients and low oxygen, understanding the molecular mechanisms of these cell adaptations or potentially helping scientists develop new targeted therapies to treat ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth-largest cause of cancer-related death in the female population,' said researcher Professor Eva Schmelz. 'In this study, we compared the internal structure of cells that represent different stages of ovarian cancer, including their aggregation, which increases survival.'
researchers found that a cellular internal structure called mitochondrials (the energy plant of cells) may change its shape and function to adapt to harmful environments in the body's abdominal cavity, which can promote the growth and progress of malignant cancer cells.
Photo Source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain ovarian cancer is usually derived from cancerous cells in the fallopian tubes, and cancer cells that fall off cancerous clots spread through fluid from the abdomen to the body's abdominal cavity, where the survival rate is only 30%, even if the original tumor is removed;
researcher Schmelz stressed that if we can understand how ovarian cancer cells survive in celiac fluid as they spread throughout the abdominal cavity, we may be able to develop special therapies and interventions to inhibit the growth and progression of cells in the original tumor.
Previous studies have shown that cell metabolism changes as ovarian cancer progresses, so researchers want to see if any structural differences can be detected by gaining a deeper understanding of the internal changes in cells;
the study, researchers used a variety of microscope techniques to observe 2-D images and 3-D model structures of mitochondrials to identify and measure their fine structure at different stages of cancer.
Researcher Schmelz said that as ovarian cancer progresses, mitochondrials change from a silky network structure to a highly divisive form, in which mitochondrials function with this division and known changes, and they reveal how cancer cells adapt to low-nutrition and low-oxygen environments, while also allowing cancer cells to escape the most commonly used therapy in ovarian cancer patients, which promotes the proliferation of cancer cells.
may help researchers develop new treatments for ovarian cancer.
The researchers say more in-depth research is needed later to identify how changes in cancer cells are regulated by independent special cell signaling path paths, revealing new therapeutic targets and helping to develop new therapies that limit the activity and spread of ovarian cancer cells.
() Original source: Joseph P. Grieco, Mitchell E. Allen, Justin B. Perry, et al. Progression-Mediated Changes in Mitochondrial Morphology Promotes Adaptation to Hypoxic Peritoneal Conditions in Serous Ovarian Cancer,Front. Oncol., 13 January 2021 doi：10.3389/fonc.2020.600113