title: The role of the tumor stroma in ovarian cancer.
abstract: The tumor microenvironment, consisting of stromal myofibroblasts, endothelial cells, and leukocytes, is growingly perceived to be a major contributor to the pathogenesis and disease progression in practically all cancer types. Stromal myofibroblasts produce angiogenic factors, proteases, growth factors, immune response-modulating proteins, anti-apoptotic proteins, and signaling molecules, and express surface receptors and respond to stimuli initiated in the tumor cells to establish a bi-directional communication network in the microenvironment to promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Many of these molecules are candidates for targeted therapy and the cancer stroma has been recently regarded as target for biological intervention. This review provides an overview of the biology and clinical role of the stroma in ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo , Norway ; University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine , Oslo , Norway ; Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Claes G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Trope
authors.affiliation: Institute of Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Jerusalem , Israel.
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reich
keywords: metastasis; ovarian carcinoma; prognosis; stromal myofibroblasts; tumor progression