| Summary: | Ovarian cancer remains a deadly diagnosis with an 85% recurrence rate and
a 5-year survival rate of only 46%. The poor outlook of this disease has
improved little over the past 50 years owing to the lack of early
detection, chemoresistance and the complex tumor microenvironment. Within the
peritoneal cavity, the presence of ascites stimulates ovarian tumors with shear
stresses. The stiff environment found within the tumor extracellular matrix and
the peritoneal membrane are also implicated in the metastatic potential and
epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ovarian cancer. Though these
mechanical cues remain highly relevant to the understanding and treatment of
ovarian cancers, our current knowledge of their biological processes and their
clinical relevance is deeply lacking. Seminal studies on ovarian cancer
mechanotransduction have demonstrated close ties between mechanotransduction and
ovarian cancer chemoresistance, EMT, enhanced cancer stem cell populations, and
metastasis. This review summarizes our current understanding of ovarian cancer
mechanotransduction and the gaps in knowledge that exist. Future investigations
on ovarian cancer mechanotransduction will greatly improve clinical outcomes via
systematic studies that determine shear stress magnitude and its influence on
ovarian cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment.
|
|---|
