What is the Problem?

High grade serous ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy, with a 5-year survival rate of just 31%. Most patients are diagnosed and treated at late stages, when the tumour has metastasised throughout the peritoneal cavity and spread to the omentum (a large “fatty apron” that hangs off the lower border of the stomach and acts as the protective layer of peritoneal cavity). A major challenge in identifying novel drugs or new drug delivery systems for ovarian cancer is the availability of preclinical models that can generate meaningful results. Due to the complexity of ovarian cancer metastasis, translations of drug discoveries to the clinic are limited. In vitro, challenges lie in modeling the metastatic niche. 2D monolayer culture fails to capture the microenvironment components essential for metastasis.

What is our solution?

The interaction between tumour cells and omentum plays an essential role in the initial steps of metastasis. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate the omental microenvironment in preclinical trials of anti-metastatic drugs. A 3D co-cultured model derived from human omentum tissue can better reflect the effect of drug administration on controlling ovarian cancer metastasis, than 2D monolayer cell culture. The model contains three layers of cells: a fibroblast and collagen mixture at the bottom and a layer of compact mesothelial cells, both isolated from omentum specimen. Ovarian cancer cells were added on top of the model as an example of cancer dissemination. This co-cultured 3D model can be modified to apply in common functional assays including transwell invasion assay, adhesion assay etc. The 3D model of ovarian cancer fills the gap between traditional 2D models and in-vivo models and holds great potential for drug efficacy test.