Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers affecting women because it is usually found after it has already spread.
In many cases, the disease causes few or no warning signs in its early stages, making it difficult to detect. As a result, many women are diagnosed when treatment is more challenging, and survival rates remain low.
The most aggressive form of the disease is called high-grade serous carcinoma, or HGSC. This type of cancer is responsible for most deaths from ovarian cancer. For many years, scientists have believed that it does not actually begin in the ovaries but instead starts in the fallopian tubes, although the exact cell responsible has remained a mystery.
Now, researchers have made an important breakthrough that may change how doctors detect and treat this disease. The study was led by Dr. Alexander Nikitin from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and was published in the journal Nature Communications. The findings identify the cell that is most likely to give rise to this aggressive cancer.
The team discovered that the cancer appears to begin in special cells known as pre-ciliated tubal epithelial cells. These cells are in the middle of becoming mature ciliated cells, which help move eggs and fluids through the fallopian tubes. Earlier studies had focused mainly on stem cells, but this new research points to a different source.
To investigate, the scientists used genetically engineered mice. They switched off two important tumor-suppressing genes, Trp53 and Rb1, which are the mouse versions of the human TP53 and RB1 genes. These genes normally help stop damaged cells from becoming cancerous and are commonly altered in women with HGSC.
The researchers expected stem cells to develop into cancer after these protective genes were removed. Instead, the stem cells simply died. However, when the same genes were switched off in pre-ciliated cells, the cells began developing into high-grade ovarian cancer.
This finding is important because it identifies the exact stage in cell development when cancer is most likely to begin. Scientists already understand much about the process that creates cilia, known as ciliogenesis. That knowledge could make it easier to discover ways to detect cancer earlier or even stop it before it fully develops.
The researchers also found that a gene called Krt5 is very active in these pre-ciliated cells. When they turned off Trp53 and Rb1 in cells with high levels of Krt5, the mice rapidly developed high-grade serous carcinoma. This provided strong evidence that these cells are the main starting point for the disease.
Although the research was carried out in mice, the fallopian tubes of mice and humans share many similarities. Because of this, the researchers believe the findings are likely to be relevant to women as well. More studies using human tissue will be needed before these discoveries can be used in hospitals.
If future research confirms these results, the discovery could lead to earlier screening tests, better ways to identify women at high risk, and new treatments that target cancer before it spreads. It may also help doctors develop more personalized care for patients.
While more work remains, this research offers fresh hope that one of the deadliest forms of ovarian cancer could one day be detected earlier and treated more successfully.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that artificial sweeteners are linked to higher cancer risk, and how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
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