How does ovarian cancer spread according to the new study?

Ovarian cancer cells fuse with mesothelial cells, which then help them travel and spread throughout the body.

What makes these fused ovarian cancer cells more dangerous?

The hybrid cells formed by ovarian cancer and mesothelial cells travel further and are more resistant to chemotherapy.

What are potential new treatments for ovarian cancer based on this discovery?

Future treatments might involve blocking the protein TGF-β1 or preventing the fusion between cancer and mesothelial cells.

Home / Health / Ovarian Cancer Cells Recruit 'Help' to Spread

Ovarian Cancer Cells Recruit 'Help' to Spread

7 Feb

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Summary

Ovarian cancer cells fuse with mesothelial cells to spread.
Hybrid cells travel further and resist chemotherapy better.
New treatments may target cell fusion or specific proteins.

Ovarian Cancer Cells Recruit 'Help' to Spread

A significant breakthrough in understanding ovarian cancer's rapid spread has been announced by researchers at Nagoya University. The study revealed that ovarian cancer cells strategically "recruit help" from mesothelial cells, which normally line the abdominal cavity.

These mesothelial cells then "lead the invasion," allowing the cancer cells to travel throughout the body. The fusion creates "hybrid spheres" that are more resilient and resistant to chemotherapy than cancer cells alone.

This unique mechanism, where cancer cells manipulate mesothelial cells to create pathways, explains the aggressive nature of ovarian cancer. Unlike other cancers that spread via the bloodstream, ovarian cancer cells utilize this cellular fusion to disseminate.