Study Reveals Role of Calcium and pH in Regulating Ovarian Cancer Spheroids

Swift Summary

• Research conducted by the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) sheds light on how ovarian cancer spheroids behave in response to environmental factors.
• Ovarian cancer spreads via floating clusters of cells-spheroids-comprised of either solid masses (moruloids) or hollow structures (blastuloids).
• The study highlights the role of two factors, calcium and pH, in influencing thes spheroids’ behavior. Calcium stabilizes E-cadherin junctions, which act as “biological mortar” binding cells together.
• Manipulating calcium levels caused spheroids to rapidly switch between solid and hollow states. Disassembled single cells also demonstrated faster reassembly into hollow forms with prior exposure to blastuloid formation.
• Acidic pH (~6), found in ascitic fluids associated with cancer, preserved the structure of blastuloids, while alkaline pH (~8.5) collapsed them into solid masses-a reversible process upon normalization of conditions.

indian opinion Analysis

this interdisciplinary study provides crucial insights into how environmental conditions dictate the physical behavior and potential mechanisms underlying ovarian cancer spread within the abdominal cavity-a major concern for clinical oncology in India and globally. Identifying that simple factors like calcium and pH can significantly alter spheroid structures highlights new avenues for diagnostic tools or targeted treatments aimed at manipulating these parameters to disrupt cancer progression.

Given India’s rising burden of ovarian cancer cases, findings such as those from this research could contribute towards personalized medical interventions tailored around these biochemical triggers in patients’ tumor environments. Collaborations like those between NCBS and IISc demonstrate india’s growing capacity for groundbreaking biomedical research with tangible healthcare applications.

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