Experts saught to determine if CD10 negative subset of endometriosis-associated mesenchymal stem cells (enMSC’s) behave similarly to carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells (CAMSC’s), as well as support growth of ovarian clear cell cancer (OCCC), presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Huda Atiya, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, and co-investigators, proceeded to commence their research by isolating enMSC’s from primary human benign endometriosis deposits involving the ovary or fallopian tubes, and measuring surface CD10 expression via flow cytometry.

Researchers then investigated the role of high versus low CD10 on OCCC tumor cell growth, in addition to chemotherapy resistance and stem-like cell properties in vitro and tumor cell engraftment, growth, and metastases in vivo. 

Through the use of in vivo imagine system to monitor tumor progression and metastisis, it was noted that luciferase-expressing OCCC cells were either used alone, mixed with low CD10 enMSCs, or mixed with high CD10 enMSCs and injected orthotopically into the ovarian bursa of NSG mice.

Furthermore, results of this research confirmed enMSCs possess variable CD10 expression. EnMSCs with low CD10 expression significantly enhanced OCCC proliferation, resistance to cisplatin, and sphere formation compared to OCCC alone. 

Dissimilarly, high CD10 expressing enMSCs were found to significantly reduce OCCC proliferation and sphere formation. Investigators note CD10 enMSCs selectively enhanced OCCC cell growth, without effect on high grade serious ovarian cancer cell growth. Moreover, a reduction of CD10 expression was observed over time when high CD10 enMSCs were co-cultured with OCCC cells.

“Our results indicate there is a sub population of enMSCs, marked by decreased CD10 expression, which selectively enhances OCCC growth. This highlights the existence of a tumor-promoting stromal cell within endometriosis which may be critical to the formation and propagation of EACs”- Huda Atiya, PhD, alongside co-investigators, concluded. -Alexis Hyams