Level C· Early human research exploring benefitsProspective StudyPubMedOpen access

Extracellular Signaling Molecules from Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Ovarian Cancer Cells Induce a Hybrid Epithelial-Mesenchymal Phenotype in a Bidirectional Interaction.

Simão VA., Floriano JF., Cesário RC., Tonon KDS., de Oliveira LRC., Delella FK.

Prospective Study, published in Cells (2025) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

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Level C· Early human research exploring benefitsEvidence level of this study

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

  • Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
  • Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
  • Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
  • Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
  • Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
Read the A–D evidence level guide

This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Prospective Study
Journal
Cells (2025)
Country
Switzerland
Reported sample size
—
Source database
PubMed
PMID
40072102
PMCID
PMC11899480
DOI
10.3390/cells14050374
Citations
5

Abstract (original English)

Ovarian cancer (OC) is characterized by high mortality rates due to late diagnosis, recurrence, and metastasis. Here, we show that extracellular signaling molecules secreted by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and OC cells-either in the conditioned medium (CM) or within small extracellular vesicles (sEVs)-modulate cellular responses and drive OC progression. ASC-derived sEVs and CM secretome promoted OC cell colony formation, invasion, and migration while upregulating tumor-associated signaling pathways, including TGFβ/Smad, p38MAPK/ERK1/2, Wnt/β-catenin, and MMP-9. Additionally, OC-derived sEVs and CM induced a pro-tumorigenic phenotype in ASCs, enhancing their invasiveness and expression of tumor-associated factors. Notably, both ASCs and OC cells exhibited increased expression of E-cadherin and Snail/Slug proteins, key markers of epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid phenotype, enhancing cellular plasticity and metastatic potential. We also demonstrated that these cellular features are, at least in part, due to the presence of tumor-supportive molecules such as TNF-α, Tenascin-C, MMP-2, and SDF-1α in the CM secretome of ASCs and OC cells. In silico analyses linked these molecular changes to poor prognostic outcomes in OC patients. These findings highlight the critical role of sEVs and tumor/stem cell-derived secretome in OC progression through bidirectional interactions

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

How we grade evidence
HumansFemaleOvarian NeoplasmsEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionMesenchymal Stem CellsCell Line, TumorAdipose TissuePhenotypeCulture Media, ConditionedExtracellular Vesicles

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