Targeting Stromal-Cancer Cell Crosstalk Networks in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Biomolecules

Tsz-Lun Yeung²  Cecilia S. Leung²  Fuhai Li¹  Stephen T. C. Wong¹  Samuel C. Mok²  Maria Barbolina³ 

[1] Department of Systems Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX 77030, USA;Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;;Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA

关键词: ovarian cancer;    cancer-associated fibroblasts;    stromal-tumor crosstalk;    tumor microenvironment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biom6010003

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Ovarian cancer is a histologically, clinically, and molecularly diverse disease with a five-year survival rate of less than 30%. It has been estimated that approximately 21,980 new cases of epithelial ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 14,270 deaths will occur in the United States in 2015, making it the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Ovarian tumor tissue is composed of cancer cells and a collection of different stromal cells. There is increasing evidence that demonstrates that stromal involvement is important in ovarian cancer pathogenesis. Therefore, stroma-specific signaling pathways, stroma-derived factors, and genetic changes in the tumor stroma present unique opportunities for improving the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the major components of the tumor stroma that have demonstrated supportive roles in tumor progression. In this review, we highlight various types of signaling crosstalk between ovarian cancer cells and stromal cells, particularly with CAFs. In addition to evaluating the importance of signaling crosstalk in ovarian cancer progression, we discuss approaches that can be used to target tumor-promoting signaling crosstalk and how these approaches can be translated into potential ovarian cancer treatment.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.