title: The Potential Role of the Proteases Cathepsin D and Cathepsin L in the Progression and Metastasis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
abstract: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies and has a poor prognosis due to relatively unspecific early symptoms, and thus often advanced stage, metastasized cancer at presentation. Metastasis of EOC occurs primarily through the transcoelomic route whereby exfoliated tumor cells disseminate within the abdominal cavity, particularly to the omentum. Primary and metastatic tumor growth requires a pool of proangiogenic factors in the microenvironment which propagate new vasculature in the growing cancer. Recent evidence suggests that proangiogenic factors other than the widely known, potent angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor may mediate growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer. In this review we examine the role of some of these alternative factors, specifically cathepsin D and cathepsin L.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK. Z.Pranjol@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Md Zahidul Islam
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Pranjol
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK. michael.hannemann@nhs.net.|Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 7JU, UK. michael.hannemann@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gutowski
authors.affiliation: Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 7JU, UK. michael.hannemann@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hannemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK. J.L.Whatmore@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whatmore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D056668:Cathepsin L / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D056668:Cathepsin L; D002402:Cathepsin D
keywords: angiogenesis; cathepsin D; cathepsin L; epithelial ovarian cancer; metastasis