Ovarian cancer research: Examining ovarian function and dysfunction

Abstract

Ovarian cancer research: Examining ovarian function and dysfunction Ovarian cancer is largely a misnomer because the cells giving rise to malignant tissue are not derived from either follicular or luteal cells. Instead, ovarian cancer cells evolve from ovarian surface epithelial cells (OSEs) that cover the surface of the ovary and fallopian tube and separate these tissues from the abdominal peritoneal cavity. Unlike other cancers that metastasize through the vascular system, ovarian cancer cells detach from the ovarian surface, disseminate and grow in the peritoneal cavity. What are the causes of ovarian cancer? The answers to this question are complex. There is not just one, but many underlying factors. However, the most common cause that initiates cancer involves mutations in specific genes, such as tumor protein 53 (TP53), BRAC1/2, KRAS, PTEN, that lead to abnormal cell proliferation and evasion of cell death. Many of these genes are involved in DNA repair, essential for maintaining normal gene expression; others are involved in metabolic/ growth regulatory pathways.