Interactions between Platelets and Tumor Microenvironment Components in Ovarian Cancer and Their Implications for Treatment and Clinical Outcomes

• Published in: Cancers Vol. 15; no. 4; p. 1282
• Main Authors: Oncul, Selin, Cho, Min Soon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Angiogenesis; Blood coagulation; Blood platelets; Blood vessels; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell interactions; Cell proliferation; Chemokines; Chemoresistance; Chemotherapy; Clinical outcomes; Degranulation; Endothelial cells; Epidermal growth factor; Extracellular matrix; Extravasation; Fibroblasts; Glycoproteins; Health aspects; Hemostasis; Hormone replacement therapy; Insulin-like growth factors; Kinases; Ligands; Malignancy; Medical prognosis; Membrane proteins; Mesenchyme; Metastases; Metastasis; Mutation; Ovarian cancer; Patient outcomes; Patients; Pericytes; platelet; Platelets; Proteins; Review; Stem cells; Stromal cells; Thrombocytosis; Thrombosis; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Wound healing; United States; thrombosis; metastasis; ovarian cancer; angiogenesis; immune system; platelet; tumor microenvironment
• ISSN: 2072-6694; 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041282

Platelets, the primary operatives of hemostasis that contribute to blood coagulation and wound healing after blood vessel injury, are also involved in pathological conditions, including cancer. Malignancy-associated thrombosis is common in ovarian cancer patients and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Platelets extravasate into the tumor microenvironment in ovarian cancer and interact with cancer cells and non-cancerous elements. Ovarian cancer cells also activate platelets. The communication between activated platelets, cancer cells, and the tumor microenvironment is via various platelet membrane proteins or mediators released through degranulation or the secretion of microvesicles from platelets. These interactions trigger signaling cascades in tumors that promote ovarian cancer progression, metastasis, and neoangiogenesis. This review discusses how interactions between platelets, cancer cells, cancer stem cells, stromal cells, and the extracellular matrix in the tumor microenvironment influence ovarian cancer progression. It also presents novel potential therapeutic approaches toward this gynecological cancer.