Abstract P01: BONE MARROW MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS PROMOTE OVARIAN CANCER CELL PROLIFERATION VIA CYTOKINE INTERACTIONS

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are key players in promoting ovarian cancer cell proliferation, orchestrated by the dynamic interplay between cytokines and their interactions with immune cells. However, the intricate crosstalk among BMSCs and cytokines has not yet been elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate interactions between BMSCs and ovarian cancer cells. BMSCs were evaluated for their typical mesenchymal stem cell characteristics, displaying spindle-shaped morphology and specific surface marker expression. They were positive for CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, and HLA-ABC, and negative for CD34, CD45, and HLA-DR. Additionally, BMSCs exhibited tri-lineage differentiation into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. The impact of BMSC-conditioned medium (CM) on ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3) was significant, with BMSC-CM markedly increasing SKOV3 cell proliferation. These findings suggest that BMSCs and their secreted factors enhance cancer cell growth, highlighting the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Further assays demonstrated that BMSC-CM significantly promoted SKOV3 cell migration and invasion, indicating an increased metastatic potential facilitated by BMSCs. Transwell migration and invasion assays confirmed these effects, emphasizing the influence of BMSCs on cancer cell behavior. In vivo studies showed that co-injecting BMSCs with SKOV3 cells in mice led to a significant increase in tumor growth. This was accompanied by elevated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and GSK-3β, signaling pathways associated with cell proliferation. Co-culturing SKOV3 cells with BMSCs led to an increase in the expression of cytokines, especially MCP-1 and IL-6. Adding MCP1 and/or IL-6 also promoted SKOV3 cell proliferation. These results underscore the role of BMSCs in enhancing ovarian cancer progression through both direct interaction and cytokine-mediated mechanisms. Understanding these interactions could lead to potential therapeutic strategies targeting the TME to inhibit cancer progression. Citation Format: Dah-Ching Ding. BONE MARROW MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS PROMOTE OVARIAN CANCER CELL PROLIFERATION VIA CYTOKINE INTERACTIONS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of Frontiers in Cancer Science 2024; 2024 Nov 13-15; Singapore. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(15_Suppl):Abstract nr P01.