Quantification of Tumor and Angiogenesis-Related Markers in Ovarian Cancer Models by a Digital Pathology Approach

Digital pathology has the potential to quantify tumor markers accurately and reproducibly with various cellular and subcellular localizations in tissues, thus filling a need in cancer research. As a case study, we quantified the percentage of necrosis, microvessels density, and monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) expression in two ovarian cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models subcutaneously injected in NOD/SCID mice. PDX models were treated with bevacizumab, an antiangiogenic drug, that targets vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). Specific signal analysis algorithms allowed us to study morphologic, vascular, and metabolic modifications induced by antiangiogenic therapy by a quantitative, reproducible, and reliable approach.