Cited by 79Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsOvarian cancer diagnosis and treatmentCancer Cells and Metastasis

Stiffness Increases with Myofibroblast Content and Collagen Density in Mesenchymal High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

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Mieulet, Virginie, Garnier, Camille, Kieffer, Yann, Guilbert, Thomas, Nemati, Fariba, Marangoni, Elisabetta, Renault, Gilles, Chamming’s, Foucauld +2 more·2021·Scientific Reports

Abstract

Women diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOC) are still likely to exhibit a bad prognosis, particularly when suffering from HGSOC of the Mesenchymal molecular subtype (50% cases). These tumors show a desmoplastic reaction with accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins and high content of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Using patient-derived xenograft mouse models of Mesenchymal and Non-Mesenchymal HGSOC, we show here that HGSOC exhibit distinct stiffness depending on their molecular subtype. Indeed, tumor stiffness strongly correlates with tumor growth in Mesenchymal HGSOC, while Non-Mesenchymal tumors remain soft. Moreover, we observe that tumor stiffening is associated with high stromal content, collagen network remodeling, and MAPK/MEK pathway activation. Furthermore, tumor stiffness accompanies a glycolytic metabolic switch in the epithelial compartment, as expected based on Warburg's effect, but also in stromal cells. This effect is restricted to the central part of stiff Mesenchymal tumors. Indeed, stiff Mesenchymal tumors remain softer at the periphery than at the core, with stromal cells secreting high levels of collagens and showing an OXPHOS metabolism. Thus, our study suggests that tumor stiffness could be at the crossroad of three major processes, i.e. matrix remodeling, MEK activation and stromal metabolic switch that might explain at least in part Mesenchymal HGSOC aggressiveness.

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Authors
Mieulet, V., Garnier, C., Kieffer, Y., Guilbert, T., Nemati, F., Marangoni, E., Renault, G., Chamming’s, F., Vincent-Salomon, A., & Mechta-Grigoriou, F.
Affiliations
  • Inserm (FR)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Institut Curie (FR)
  • Université Paris Cité (FR)
  • Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
Corresponding author
Mieulet, Virginie
Venue
Scientific Reports
Published
2021-02-18
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
4219-4219
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3129745115
Cited by
79
References
121
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 4
FWCI
7.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Permanent position)
  • Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche (MERT)
  • Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (Bioinformatician)
  • Institut Cochin Paris
  • Institut Curie (Permanent position)
  • Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Keywords
tumor stiffness, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, cancer-associated fibroblasts, collagen density, extracellular matrix remodeling, tumor microenvironment, Warburg effect, glycolytic metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, patient-derived xenografts, tumor growth, tumor heterogeneity
MeSH terms
Animals, Collagen, Female, Humans, Mesoderm, Ovarian Neoplasms, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Stromal Cells, Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous, MAP Kinase Signaling System, Cell Line, Tumor, Mice, Myofibroblasts

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