Scientists find how ovarian cancer spreads and outline possible treatment targets

Researchers reported that ovarian cancer cells fuse with mesothelial cells to form hybrid clusters that travel in abdominal fluid and resist chemotherapy; the team suggested blocking TGF-β1 or preventing cell fusion as possible treatment approaches.

Researchers have identified a mechanism that helps explain how ovarian cancer spreads through the abdomen and suggested ways to block it. Ovarian cancer cells were found to fuse with mesothelial cells that line the abdominal cavity, forming hybrid spheres in fluid that carries them around the abdomen. These hybrid cells appear to travel further and resist chemotherapy more than cancer cells alone. The study was led by researchers at Nagoya University and published in Science Advances. Key findings: - About 60 percent of cancer spheres found in patient abdominal fluid contained mesothelial cells fused with ovarian cancer cells. - The fused or 'hybrid' cells release a protein called TGF-β1, which transforms mesothelial cells and causes them to form spike-like structures that aid tissue invasion; the hybrids showed greater spread and resistance to chemotherapy than cancer cells by themselves. - The research team suggested that blocking TGF-β1, preventing cell fusion, or monitoring these cell clusters in abdominal fluid could be explored as treatment or monitoring approaches; clinical application is undetermined. Summary: The findings offer a new explanation for the rapid abdominal spread seen in many ovarian cancers and identify molecular and cellular targets researchers say could be tested for therapies. Undetermined at this time.