Evaluating the progenitor cells of ovarian cancer: analysis of current animal models

Abstract

Serous ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. Progress on effective diagnostics and therapeutics for this disease are hampered by ambiguity as to the cellular origins of this histotype of ovarian cancer, as well as limited suitable animal models to analyze early stages of disease. In this report, we will review current animal models with respect to the two proposed progenitor cells for serous ovarian cancer, the ovarian surface epithelium and the fallopian tube epithelium.

Figure 1

Comparison of the location of FTE cells in primates and rodents. Distal fallopian tube fimbriae (primates) or oviduct (mouse) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for an epithelial protein (CK8) or a tubal specific protein (OVGP1). In primates, FTE are on the outer surface of the stromal component of the tissue, and in mice, the FTE line the lumen of the oviductal tube.

Figure 2

Targeting of reproductive epithelium by intrabursal AdCre injection or MISIIR promoter. A) Adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase is injected into the intrabursal space. Blue represents Cre expression, with darker shades of blue demonstrating higher expression levels than lighter shades of blue. It is likely that intrabursal injection of AdCre leads to varying degrees of recombination in the OSE, FTE, and possibly the endometrium. B) MISIIR promoter targets transgene expression to the Müllerian epithelium, shown in blue. Affected tissues include the granulosa cells, the OSE, the FTE, and the endometrium. A detailed analysis of MISIIR promoter strength in these various cellular compartments has not yet been completed.