Ovarian cancer is the most common cancer of the female genital organs. It is often diagnosed at advanced stages, which makes it difficult to treat. Developing an effective therapy for this disease has long been a major challenge. The host group suspects that one of the mechanisms used by neutrophils to eliminate pathogens—known as NETosis—is being hijacked by tumor cells to spread throughout the body, as increased markers of activation of this mechanism correlate with a poorer prognosis in patients. Demonstrating that this is the case is challenging due to the lack of preclinical models that preserve the non-tumor cells present within the tumor microenvironment.

To address this, I recently developed in Belgium a novel platform in which ovarian cancer tissue is obtained from patients and cultured outside the body while preserving the tumor context. In this project, our goal is to use this platform to assess the role of neutrophils in treatment response. Our objectives are: (1) to generate cultures and expose them to standard and emerging therapies; (2) to define cellular changes in the tumor and its microenvironment; and (3) to link these changes to treatment response. To achieve this, we will integrate innovative techniques and leverage the host team’s access to a unique ovarian cancer patient registry.