REGULATION OF OVARIAN SURFACE EPITHELIAL CELLS

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) is a monolayer surrounding the ovary that comprises less than 1/1,000th of the ovarian mass, yet gives rise to nearly 90% of ovarian cancers in women. With a life-time risk of ovarian cancer almost 1 in 50, OSE cells must be considered among the most highly prone to transformation. This project was developed to consider a nonhuman primate model to investigate rhesus macaque OSE (RhOSE) cell biology in vitro and in vivo. Initial studies established RhOSE cell cultures and performed comparative analysis with human OSE cell cultures. These data showed high similarity between human and rhesus cells, with common gene expression not shared with OSE cells derived from laboratory or domestic animals, such as mouse, rat, sheep, or pig. The long-term goal of this project is to use cell culture, gene microarray, and other molecular techniques to determine how RhOSE proliferation and survival are regulated in vitro. Additional studies have begun to examine gene expression in the OSE in vivo, by collecting macaque ovaries from defined phases of the menstrual cycle. These studies will examine the normal fate of the OSE before and after ovulation and the regulation of OSE proliferation and death in the context of ovarian function. The results of these efforts may indicate which physiological events promote OSE transformation and could translate into clinical applications to develop more effective methods for prevention, detection, and treatment of ovarian cancer.