Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets in Microdissected Clear Cell Ovarian Cancers: A Genomic Approach for Personalized Medicine
2011

Identifying New Treatment Targets for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer

Sample size: 10 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Stany Michael P., Vathipadiekal Vinod, Ozbun Laurent, Stone Rebecca L., Mok Samuel C., Xue Hui, Kagami Takashi, Wang Yuwei, McAlpine Jessica N., Bowtell David, Gout Peter W., Miller Dianne M., Gilks C. Blake, Huntsman David G., Ellard Susan L., Wang Yu-Zhuo, Vivas-Mejia Pablo, Lopez-Berestein Gabriel, Sood Anil K., Birrer Michael J.

Primary Institution: Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Hypothesis

The activated pathways in clear cell ovarian cancer may provide a mechanism for its aggressive clinical nature.

Conclusion

Clear cell ovarian cancer is sensitive to antiangiogenesis therapy, suggesting a need for different treatment strategies compared to other ovarian cancer types.

Supporting Evidence

  • Clear cell ovarian cancer has a unique gene expression profile compared to other ovarian cancer types.
  • Activated pathways in clear cell ovarian cancer include those involved in hypoxia, angiogenesis, and glucose metabolism.
  • Patient-derived clear cell tumors showed sensitivity to antiangiogenesis therapy in preclinical models.
  • Combination therapy with sunitinib and RNAi targeting key genes demonstrated synergistic effects.

Takeaway

Clear cell ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that doesn't respond well to regular treatments, but researchers found new ways to target it using specific drugs.

Methodology

The study involved whole genome expression profiling of microdissected clear cell ovarian cancer samples and normal ovarian surface specimens, followed by analysis using various statistical and bioinformatics tools.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the selection of samples and the methodologies used for gene expression analysis.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on a small sample size and may not fully represent the diversity of clear cell ovarian cancer.

Participant Demographics

Patients undergoing bilateral salpingoophorectomy for ovarian cancer, with a focus on clear cell histotype.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0021121

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