Abstract AP02: EXPOSING THE LOCAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OVARIAN COLONIZATION OF FALLOPIAN TUBE-DERIVED TUMORS

Abstract High grade serous cancer (HGSC) originates in the fallopian tube and typically invade and colonize the ovary as part of peritoneal metastasis. The purpose of this study was to define the factors that contribute to ovarian specific metastasis of fallopian tube HGSC. While protein factors have been explored that facilitate migration and invasion of fallopian tube cell to the ovary, the small molecule communication between the tissues during metastasis remains largely unexplored. Due to the proximity of ovarian primary metastasis, an experimental design was optimized using imaging mass spectrometry to capture the spatial composition of small molecules uniquely expressed when fallopian tube-derived tumor cells were grown in the microenvironment of the ovary as a model of primary metastasis. The observed mass-to-charge ratios (m/z's) that were induced specifically in co-culture represent small molecules that may contribute to the metastasis of HGSOC selectively to the ovary. Human fallopian tube epithelial HGSOC and tumorigenic murine oviductal epithelial cells, but not normal cell types, repeatedly induced a signal from the ovary at m/z 170. This signal was identified as norepinephrine, which was confirmed to simulate invasion of ovarian cancer cells lacking wildtype p53. Norepinephrine has an established role in ovarian cancer metastasis to secondary sites and the use of beta-blockers in women is associated with increased survival. The use of imaging mass spectrometry also revealed a series of new molecules that are specifically enhanced from the ovary or the fallopian tube during co-culture. These molecules may reveal pathways that contribute to metastasis and biological targets for therapeutic intervention to block ovarian metastasis of fallopian tube-derived HGSOC. The developed mass spectrometry method can be adapted to other mammalian-based model systems for investigation of untargeted metabolomics that facilitate metastasis. Citation Format: Joanna E. Burdette, Katherine Zink, Matthew Dean, and Laura M. Sanchez. EXPOSING THE LOCAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OVARIAN COLONIZATION OF FALLOPIAN TUBE-DERIVED TUMORS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2019;25(22 Suppl):Abstract nr AP02.