Researchers have identified a potential maker for ovarian cancer, which could lead to the development of new treatments and a much-needed screening test for the disease.
Dr George Koucos and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Ovarian Cancer Research Center found that a gene called TEM1 is over-expressed in the blood vessels surrounding ovarian tumors. The researchers tested 52 samples of ovarian cancer – TEM1 was found in the blood supply in all of the samples, and high levels of TEM1 were associated with decreased survival. In comparison, none of the control samples in the study tested positive for TEM1, thus suggesting that TEM1 is a specific marker for ovarian cancer.
It is hoped that the finding will lead to a new method of screening for ovarian cancer – the deadliest gynecological cancer in the US. The researchers believe that the finding may also lead to new treatments, potentially involving the use of TEM1-antibodies to target blood vessels containing TEM1 and thereby disrupt the blood supply to the tumor.
News release: Vascular Marker of Ovarian Cancer Identified. American Association for Cancer Research website. September 23rd 2008.
