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Ovarian Inflammaging as a Mechanism for Ovarian Cancer

Description: PROJECT NARRATIVE The total lifetime number of ovulations is a key risk factor for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), yet HGSOC typically presents as late-stage, metastatic cancer in post-menopausal women who are no longer ovulating. I propose that exposure to follicular fluid upon ovulation triggers tumor initiation in the fallopian tube epithelium in an age-dependent manner and tumor cell adhesion and invasion preferentially occur in the aging ovarian stroma. Overall, the proposed studies will provide insight into how ovulation and the aging ovarian microenvironment contribute to ovarian cancer and will identify key fibro-inflammatory pathways as putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Funder: National Cancer Institute

Funding type: fellowship

Funder scheme: F31

Start date: 2021-07-01

End date: 2024-06-30

Investigator: SHWETA S. DIPALI

Institution: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO

Topic: Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment

Subfield: Reproductive Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Funded outputs count: 3