2025 Mentored Investigator Grant

Project summary

Ovarian cancer (OC) often spreads to the omentum, where fat supports tumor growth. Chemoresistant OC displays increased uptake and use of fatty acids. Our research shows that a high-saturated-fat diet contributed to increased peritoneal dissemination of OC tumors. We identified the CD74 receptor to be highly upregulated in these tumors. CD74 knock-down rendered OC cells more sensitive to chemotherapy and inhibited lipid uptake. We propose that CD74 facilitates the crosstalk between OC cells and the metastatic niche in a high-fat environment. This study aims to explore the role of CD74 in OC progression, leading to new treatments targeting this receptor.

This grant was made possible in part by a generous donation from The Donald R. and Esther Simon Foundation.