April
29,
2022
Imaging and Microfluidic Technology to Study High Grade Serous Cancer
(Drug DELIVERY Specific Seminar)
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest cancer of the reproductive tract. While originally termed ovarian, the origin of high grade serous ovarian cancer, is the fallopian tube epithelium. The process of ovulation is a risk factor for ovarian cancer. Our lab has engineered organ-on-a-chip technology to study fallopian tube epithelium and the ovulating ovary to understand what factors contribute to tumor formation and spread. We identified that ovarian secreted versican enhances fallopian tube migration through EGFR signaling. Further, we identified that versican is produced by the ovary and its levels accumulate over the course of the menstrual cycle. Finally, our lab has several projects aimed at identifying new therapies for ovarian cancer based on compounds isolated from bacteria, fungi and plants. Our team has collaborated to study synthetic analogs of a natural product isolated from a shrub in Vietnam and ultimately determined it to be a late stage autophagy inhibitor effective in ovarian cancer. Overall, this seminar will highlight model development and drug discovery to make progress on fighting ovarian cancer.
Hosted by Seungpyo Hong
