Advisory Committee Chair
Rebecca Arend
Advisory Committee Members
Joel Berry
Michael Birrer
Christian Klug
David Schneider
Anna Yemelyanova
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2021
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Heersink School of Medicine
Abstract
Mechanical forces including compression, tension, and shear stress are increasingly implicated as instigators of tumor progression. Understanding how mechanobiology drives ovarian cancer is critical to identifying potential therapies. The effect of shear stress is beginning to be studied in ovarian cancer due to the presence of ascites in the peritoneal cavity that prompts tumor cells detachment and implantation in secondary sites. Therefore, mechanical cues are present within the peritoneal cavity. A growing ovarian tumor mass also experiences compressive and tensile forces, although their participation in tumor progression still remains unclear. Additionally, there is a specific lack of incorporation of mechanobiology in preclinical ovarian cancer research. Therefore, more accurate preclinical models that mimic ovarian cancer mechanobiology may help us understand how ovarian tumors progress and how they can be targeted more efficiently to treat patients suffering from this deadly disease. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the effect of tension (oscillatory and constant) on the ovarian cancer cells lines SKOV-3 and OVCAR-8, as well as to develop a gynecologic cancer preclinical model based on a three-dimensional perfused bioreactor system using gynecologic cancer cell lines as well as patient-derived tumor samples.
Recommended Citation
Martinez Diaz, Alba, "Understanding the Role of Biomechanics in Ovarian Cancer Biology" (2021). All ETDs from UAB. 631.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/631