Wellbeing of Women

2006 Grants

Use of functional cloning to identify genes that confer resistance to platinum based therapy in ovarian epithelial cells. Miss Esther Moss, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent £101,666 over 24 months

Use of functional cloning to identify genes that confer resistance to platinum based therapy in ovarian epithelial cells

Ovarian cancer causes approximately 4,000 deaths every year. Despite advances in surgical techniques and chemotherapy treatments, very few women with ovarian cancer will survive long-term. Chemotherapy is an effective initial treatment for late stage ovarian cancer with approximately 70-80% of patients experiencing a reduction in the size of the cancer (partial response), or the disappearance of the cancer (complete response).

Carboplatin used in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, kills tumour cells by forcing them to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis). However these effects are not sustained and the majority of tumours will recur due to the growth of drug resistant cancer cells, which escape apoptosis. Previous research has shown that there are differences in gene expression, between cancer cells killed by the chemotherapy, and those that are able to survive.

The primary outcome of this research will be to identify genes whose function, when disrupted, leads to chemo resistance in ovarian cancer. Identification of the genes involved in resistance to chemotherapy might provide biomarkers to aid in the conventional management of patients, and may also lead to the development of novel mechanism-based therapies for ovarian cancer.

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