How fallopian tube–origin ovarian cancer spreads inside the abdomen
Official title: Uncovering the Mechanisms of Metastasis in Fallopian Tube-Originated Ovarian Cancer
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11321268 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for the specific cells and molecular changes that let fallopian tube–origin high-grade serous ovarian cancer spread in women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | June 17, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $397,299 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269779-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321268 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer or those undergoing surgery for suspected ovarian/fallopian tube cancer who can donate tumor tissue or fluid samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other non–high-grade serous ovarian cancer types or those unable to provide tissue samples are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific research in the near term.
What this research studies
Researchers use a mouse model that mimics how fallopian tube cells turn into high-grade serous ovarian cancer and then spread through the belly. They profile individual tumor and oviduct cells with single-cell RNA sequencing to find tumor-initiating cells and the genes they use. Lab-grown tumor organoids and mouse experiments test which cells can form metastases, and the team checks whether the same cell signatures appear in human tumor samples. Together these methods aim to reveal the steps and molecules that drive early spread of this cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets or biomarkers to prevent or detect metastatic spread in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Methods like single-cell sequencing and organoid models have identified cancer-driving cells in other tumor types, but applying them to fallopian tube–origin HGSC is relatively new and still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang-Hartwich, Yang — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Yang-Hartwich, Yang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Tumor-Niche Co-evolution in Ovarian Cancer Metastasis and Resistance
This research explores how ovarian cancer cells interact with their surrounding tissue to understand how metastasis and resistance to therapy develop, with potential to guide better treatments.
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How the tumor environment helps ovarian cancer spread by activating c‑Jun and AKT2
This work looks for molecular changes in the tumor surroundings that switch on c‑Jun and AKT2 and help ovarian cancer cells spread, aiming to guide new treatments for people with metastatic ovarian cancer.
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How chemotherapy can activate MASP and help ovarian cancer spread
This project looks at whether common chemotherapy drugs trigger a protein called MASP that helps high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells spread, with the aim of protecting patients from metastatic relapse.
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How the environment affects ovarian cancer spread and treatment.
This study is looking at how ovarian cancer cells move and spread in the body by using a special lab model that acts like human tissue, with the goal of finding new ways to help improve treatment for people with advanced ovarian cancer.
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Investigating how tumor cell clusters affect the spread of aggressive ovarian cancer
This study is looking at how groups of cancer cells behave differently from single cancer cells in spreading high-grade serous ovarian cancer, with the hope that understanding this could help find better treatments for patients facing this and similar aggressive cancers.
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Investigating how chemotherapy affects ovarian cancer spread
This study is looking at how chemotherapy might sometimes make high-grade serous ovarian cancer spread more quickly, and it aims to find new ways to help prevent this from happening, so patients can have better treatment outcomes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.