Pericytes Promote Malignant Ovarian Cancer Progression in Mice and Predict Poor Prognosis in Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pericytes in regulating malignant ovarian cancer progression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The pericyte mRNA signature was used to interrogate ovarian cancer patient datasets to determine its prognostic value for recurrence and mortality. Xenograft models of ovarian cancer were used to determine if co-injection with pericytes affected tumor growth rate and metastasis, whereas co-culture models were utilized to investigate the direct effect of pericytes on ovarian cancer cells. Pericyte markers were used to stain patient tissue samples to ascertain their use in prognosis. RESULTS: Interrogation of two serous ovarian cancer patient datasets..