Researchers have made a major discovery about a deadly type of ovarian cancer, offering new hope for finding it earlier and treating it more effectively.
The study, published in *Nature Communications*, identified the likely starting point of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC)—the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Sadly, most women diagnosed with this disease live less than five years after learning they have it. One reason for this is that ovarian cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms in its early stages. It also lacks a reliable test for early detection.
Scientists have suspected for some time that HGSC doesn’t actually start in the ovaries but in the fallopian tubes. However, they weren’t sure exactly where or how—until now.
In this new study, led by Dr. Alexander Nikitin from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, researchers discovered that a specific kind of cell in the fallopian tube, called pre-ciliated tubal epithelial cells, is most likely the source of this cancer.
These pre-ciliated cells are in a transition phase between stem cells and fully developed ciliated cells, which normally help move fluids and eggs through the fallopian tubes. Earlier research had focused on stem cells as the likely origin of cancer.
But in this study, scientists found that when key cancer-fighting genes (called tumor suppressors) were turned off, stem cells did not turn cancerous—they simply died. However, when these same genes were turned off in pre-ciliated cells, cancer began to form.
To test this, the scientists used genetically modified mice. They studied two important tumor suppressor genes—TP53 and RB1—which are known to be mutated in most human HGSC cases. In mice, the equivalent genes are Trp53 and Rb1.
The scientists silenced these genes in different fallopian tube cells and found that only the pre-ciliated cells turned into cancer.
This is an important breakthrough because it points directly to the cell type that gives rise to this aggressive cancer.
What makes this even more exciting is that the process these cells go through—called ciliogenesis, or the development of cilia—is already well understood by scientists. This gives researchers a much clearer idea of how and when to detect the cancer.
The scientists also identified a gene called Krt5 that is highly active in these pre-ciliated cells. In further tests, when Trp53 and Rb1 were silenced in cells that had high Krt5 levels, the mice quickly developed high-grade ovarian cancer. This confirms that these cells are the main culprits in cancer formation.
This discovery could lead to several promising advancements:
– Early detection: Doctors may be able to spot ovarian cancer earlier by identifying pre-ciliated cells before they fully turn into cancer.
– New treatments: Targeting the process of ciliogenesis may offer a way to stop the cancer before it starts.
– Better screening: Genes like Krt5 could serve as markers for new tests to find early signs of risk.
Although this study was done in mice, the researchers say that the structure of the fallopian tubes in humans is very similar. This means that the results are likely to apply to people as well. More studies are needed to test human tissue and confirm these results, but the findings offer real hope for earlier diagnosis and better treatments for ovarian cancer.
Dr. Nikitin and his team believe that this discovery could one day lead to personalized treatments for women at higher risk, improving survival rates and quality of life.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about Research finds a new cause of cancer growth and findings of Scientists find the missing link between autoimmune diseases and blood cancer.
For more information about cancer, please read studies about A common blood thinner can help fight cancer and findings of Heavy alcohol drinking is common in cancer patients.
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