Abstract
[Truncated abstract] Ovarian cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in developed countries, with epithelial ovarian carcinomas being the most prevalent type diagnosed. Late diagnosis and development of drug-resistance to chemotherapeutic agents result in poor patient survival, making this cancer the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignancies. Ovarian tumours can be divided into two groups based on their response to chemotherapeutic agents; tumours that are responsive to treatment (chemosensitive) and those that are less responsive (chemoresistant). Recent literature suggests that de-regulation of pro-apoptotic genes is a key factor contributing to the onset and maintenance of chemoresistance. One such pro-apoptotic gene family is the Secreted Frizzled-Related proteins (sFRPs), a family of five secreted antagonists of the Wnt signalling cascade. In addition to a correlation between aberrant canonical Wnt signalling and the absence or down-regulation of sFRP isoforms, various studies have also reported that re-expression of these isoforms in experimental models, in particular that of sFRP4, induces apoptosis and subsequently supresses tumour growth.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Publication status | Unpublished - 2011 |
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