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Advances in Molecular Biology of Ovarian Cancer
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Advances in Molecular Biology of Ovarian Cancer

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1360

Editors

Dr. Stefania Scicchitano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CR_BBMA, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: signaling pathways; biochemistry metabolism; ovarian cancer; transcription factors; iron metabolism, stem cells
Dr. Cinzia Garofalo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center of Biochemistry and Advanced Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: tumor immunology; NK cells; flow cytometry; ovarian cancer; cell death signaling pathways

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer in women. Although patients initially respond well to surgery and chemotherapy, tumor recurrences often combine with metastasis and chemoresistance. In the fight against this type of tumor, the identification of the molecular mechanisms and early biomarkers responsible for cancer initiation, development, and progression is of primary importance. Several molecular pathways and mutations are involved in ovarian cancer pathogenesis, alongside ovarian cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment, which are key factors in ovarian cancer initiation and relapses and strongly influence therapeutic efficacy. Together, these aspects could represent possible targets for the development of novel combined anti-cancer therapies. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome on areas that may include (but are not limited to) the role of signaling pathways, cancer metabolism, tumor microenvironment components, and novel therapeutic combinations in human ovarian carcinoma.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Stefania Scicchitano
Dr. Cinzia Garofalo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ovarian cancer
  • signaling pathways
  • transcription factors
  • cancer metabolism
  • chemoresistance
  • tumor microenvironment
  • ovarian cancer stem cells
  • cancer therapies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 4523 KB  
Article
Clotrimazole Targets the c-Myc–Survivin Axis to Reduce the Viability of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells Alone and in Combination with Chemotherapeutic Agents
by Yasufumi Ito, Kazuki Nakamura, Yurika Nakagawa-Saito, Shuhei Suzuki, Yuta Mitobe, Senri Takenouchi, Keita Togashi, Asuka Sugai, Manabu Seino, Tsuyoshi Ohta, Satoru Nagase, Chifumi Kitanaka and Masashi Okada
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(14), 6175; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146175 - 10 Jul 2026
Viewed by 293
Abstract
Ovarian cancer stem cells (OvCSCs) are one of the main factors contributing to post-treatment recurrence and the poor prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. Therefore, the development of therapeutic strategies targeting OvCSCs is needed to improve patient survival. We previously reported the high [...] Read more.
Ovarian cancer stem cells (OvCSCs) are one of the main factors contributing to post-treatment recurrence and the poor prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. Therefore, the development of therapeutic strategies targeting OvCSCs is needed to improve patient survival. We previously reported the high expression of survivin/BIRC5 in OvCSCs and also that targeting pathways regulating survivin expression effectively suppressed OvCSC survival. In the present study, we tested a panel of agents consisting of FDA-approved drugs and compounds under clinical studies for their ability to suppress survivin expression in OvCSCs and identified clotrimazole (CTZ) as a potent candidate. The effects of CTZ on survivin expression were examined by RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. The effects of CTZ alone or in combination with anticancer agents on OvCSCs were evaluated using WST-8, PI uptake, and colony formation assays. CTZ preferentially impaired OvCSC survival by suppressing the c-myc–survivin axis without affecting normal fibroblasts and enhanced the efficacy of platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapeutic agents. These results suggest that CTZ suppresses survivin expression in OvCSCs and enhances the effects of conventional ovarian cancer chemotherapeutic agents, supporting further investigations of this approach as a potential strategy for ovarian cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Biology of Ovarian Cancer)
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14 pages, 1292 KB  
Article
Comprehensive Germline Profiling of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Using Whole-Exome Sequencing
by Hye-Lim Cho, Seong Eun Bak, Mi-Ryung Han and Youn Jin Choi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125564 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 399
Abstract
While ovarian cancer screening is not recommended in the general population, attention has shifted to screening women with elevated hereditary risks. Although germline BRCA 1/2 pathogenic variants account for 40% of inherited ovarian cancer risk and family history (FH) remains important, known germline [...] Read more.
While ovarian cancer screening is not recommended in the general population, attention has shifted to screening women with elevated hereditary risks. Although germline BRCA 1/2 pathogenic variants account for 40% of inherited ovarian cancer risk and family history (FH) remains important, known germline variants alone do not fully explain familial ovarian cancer risk. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on blood samples taken from 231 individuals, including 39 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and 192 healthy controls (HCs) stratified by FH. We analyzed pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants in cancer-related genes and assessed their association with family cancer history. Additionally, we performed somatic variant comparisons using 1:4 propensity score matching and analyzed clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP)-related somatic variants. P/LP germline variants were detected in 56.4% of HGSOC patients, 49.4% of controls with FH, and 33.3% without. The HGSOC group and controls with FH exhibited similar P/LP germline mutation patterns in ovarian cancer-related genes. From CHIP analysis, somatic CHIP mutations were detected in 6.3% of the HGSOC group and 8.5% in HCs. Our findings demonstrate genomic overlap between ovarian cancer patients and FH-positive individuals. Therefore, germline variant screening could be considered to facilitate early diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Biology of Ovarian Cancer)
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