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Fig. 1 | Journal of Ovarian Research

Fig. 1

From: Insights into high-grade serous carcinoma pathobiology using three-dimensional culture model systems

Fig. 1

Pathobiology of EOC cells within tumours and spheroids throughout disease progression.

This schematic demonstrates the complex nature of EOC cells where they undergo reversible cellular and molecular changes during metastasis, specifically highlighting dormant-to-proliferative switching. Cells will break off from tumours and disseminate into the peritoneal cavity, within the malignant ascites fluid, to form multicellular aggregates called spheroids. As cells cluster in suspension, they alter their intracellular signaling pathways (e.g. proliferation, adhesion, EMT) to become dormant and often drug-resistant to evade cell death. These changes are also reversible in the sense that spheroids can reattach to peritoneal surfaces and switch their biology back to a tumour-like state in order to grow secondary lesions. Created with Biorender.com.

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