Toward an integrative analysis of the tumor microenvironment in ovarian epithelial carcinoma

Ovarian epithelial carcinomas are heterogeneous malignancies exhibiting great diversity in histological phenotypes as well as genetic and epigenetic aberrations. A general early event in tumorigenesis is regional dissemination into the peritoneal cavity. Initial spread to the peritoneum is made possible by cooperative signaling between a wide array of molecules constituting the tissue microenvironment in the coelomic epithelium. Changes in the activity of key microenvironmental components not constitutively expressed in normal tissue, including several disclosed adhesion molecules, growth factors, proteases, and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), coordinate the transition. Remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and subsequent cell surface interactions enable transformation by promoting chromosomal instability (CIN) and stimulating several common signal transduction cascades to prepare the tissue for harboring and facilitating growth, angiogenesis and metastasis of the developing tumor.