
Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer worldwide. Around 95% of patients exhibit recurrence five years after treatment; 80% experience recurrence within 18 months after first-line treatment, and progression-free survival rates have not changed over the past 40 years. New therapeutic approaches are imperative to face this complex disease. The purinergic system is a newly recognized element of the tumor microenvironment (TME), as it exhibits a pro-tumor role. Tumor cells release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the TME, where it exerts autocrine-paracrine actions that regulate several processes, including the induction of a metastatic phenotype, cell proliferation, and metabolic adaptations. In the extracellular milieu, ATP is converted to adenosine (ADO) by ectonucleotidases (CD39 and CD73), thereby significantly blocking the anti-tumor immune response through interactions with various immune cells. Recent analyses have focused on the diversity and plasticity of purinergic signaling in OC. This review outlines the disease, explains basic concepts of purinergic signaling, and summarizes experimental evidence that indicates purinergic elements may serve as potential targets for novel therapies to overcome OC.
Review Article
Review Article
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
