• Role of the Extracellular Matrix with HA in Ovarian Cancer
  • Negin Hashmi,1,*
    1. Msc of Molecular Genetic Department of Genetics, eslamshhr , Islamic Azad University, Iran.


  • Introduction: The most prevalent cancer and the sixth most common reason for cancer-related death in women worldwide is ovarian cancer. Depending on the tissue in which it is located, HA is a big polymer that extrudes into the extracellular space and is composed of repeated N-acetyl glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid disaccharides of varied molecular weight and size. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ovarian neoplasms according to their histological differentiation, namely epithelial, sex cord-stromal and germ cell neoplasms. Epithelial ovarian tumors represent the largest group and are basically subdivided into serous, mucinous, endometrioid, clear cell and transitional cell tumors; the latter including Brenner tumors. Among these groups of tumors, three categories are distinguished according to their biological behaviour: benign, borderline and malignant. Several rare malignant neoplasms complete the category of epithelial ovarian tumors, such as mixed carcinoma, carcinosarcoma and undifferentiated carcinoma. This study sought to understand how the extracellular matrix and ha function in ovarian cancer.
  • Methods: This review study has written the role of the extracellular matrix with ha in ovarian cancer from scientific databases such as Science Direct, Springer, Google Scholar, and PubMed.
  • Results: Results have indicated Tumors can significantly alter the composition and structure of the matrix by interfering with the regular regulation of ECM production. The physiological function of HA varies significantly depending on HA size, the presence or absence of HA binding proteins, and the presence or absence of cell surface receptors. Alterations in the expression of several ECM molecules, including hyaluronan (HA) and CD44, have been described in ovarian cancer and have an impact on the outcome of the disease. HA is highly abundant in several cancers. The stroma surrounding the tumor or the tumor cells themselves may have higher HA levels. In ovarian cancer tumor models, increased HA has been found to be highly associated with the level of invasiveness and metastatic potential.
  • Conclusion: Ovarian cancer cells are surrounded by a peritumoral stroma that is rich in HA and CD44, which can encourage the tumour's ability to spread. Further investigation is necessary since these compounds show potential as therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.
  • Keywords: Extracellular Matrix, HA, Ovarian Cancer