Abstract TMEM-040: TUMOR ASSOCIATED MACROPHAGES MEDIATES THE ONCOGENIC EFFECT OF FGF18 IN OVARIAN CANCER
Authors: Wei Wei , Birrer Michael J. 
Published: June 2017

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women and has the highest case-fatality rate among gynecologic cancers. Effective management of this deadly disease still remains scanty due to the inadequate understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with the tumor progression and prognosis. We have previously reported the tumor-promoting role of Fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18), which have been identified through genomic analysis of ovarian tumors. Initial studies suggested FGF18 promotes ovarian tumor progression through NF-κB pathway mediated elevation of proinflammatory cytokines, which mediate the increased tumor burden, angiogenesis and infiltration of macrophages in FGF18 expressing xenografts. Based on these findings, the present study aims to delineate the mechanism by which FGF18 modulates the phenotype of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) as well as the reciprocal tumor-promoting feedback from the TAMs which potentially contributes FGF18 mediated ovarian tumorigenesis.

Immunohistochemical staining of a tissue array comprising 216 archived high-grade advanced stage serous ovarian tumor specimens revealed a significant correlation between the FGF18 expression and infiltration of M2-polarized macrophages (by CD163). In addition, the density of intratumoral M2 TAMs inversely associated with patients' overall survival as a negative prognostic factor independent to age, tumor grade and debulking status. These findings suggest intratumoral TAMs may play an important role in ovarian tumorigenesis. In vitro co-culture studies further demonstrated that human monocyte cell line THP-1 or murine peritoneal macrophage cell line IC-21 could significantly activate the NF-κB pathway and increase the production of various proinflammatory cytokines in ovarian cancer cells. Co-culture also increased the migratory, adhesive and angiogenic potential of ovarian cancer cells cells. Addition of an IKKβ inhibitor into the co-culture system nullified the cytokine production and oncogenic changes of tumor cells promoted by monocytes/macrophages, implicating the involvement of NF-κB signaling in the crosstalk. Conversely, liposome clodronate mediated in vivo macrophage depletion significantly shrunk the tumor burden of the intraperitoneal xenograft derived from FGF18 overexpressing SKOV3 cells, while minimal effect was observed over the control RFP overexpressing xenograft. Besides, macrophage depletion also markedly decreased the intratumoral microvessel density induced by FGF18 overexpression. Taken together, our data potentially suggest TAMs may mediate the FGF18 related ovarian tumorigenesis by augmenting the proinflammatory status of the tumors.

Citation Format: Wei Wei and Michael J. Birrer. TUMOR ASSOCIATED MACROPHAGES MEDIATES THE ONCOGENIC EFFECT OF FGF18 IN OVARIAN CANCER [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 12-13, 2016; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr TMEM-040.