Novel Therapeutics in Ovarian Cancer: Expanding the Toolbox

Despite high response rates to initial therapy, most patients with ovarian cancer will ultimately recur and go on to develop resistance to standard treatments. Novel therapies have been developed to overcome drug resistance and alter the tumor immune microenvironment by targeting oncogenic pathways, activating the innate immune response, and enhancing drug delivery. In this review, we discuss the current and future roles of chemotherapy, targeted agents such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, bevacizumab, and mirvetuximab in the treatment of ovarian cancer. We explore the emerging role of therapeutic targets, including DNA repair pathway inhibitors and novel antibody-drug conjugates. Furthermore, we delve into the role of immunotherapeutic agents such as interleukins as well as immune-promoting agents such as oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines. Innovative combination therapies using these agents have led to a rapidly evolving treatment landscape and promising results for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

PARP inhibition sensitizes endometrial cancer cells to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis

PARP inhibitors are used in the treatment of gynecological malignancies and it has been demonstrated in preclinical studies that PARP inhibition sensitizes cancer cells to cytotoxic agents. In the present study, PARP expression was detected in different endometrial cancer cell lines by western blot analysis, and PARP activity was measured using an enzymatic assay. In addition, the endometrial cancer cell lines were treated with paclitaxel or carboplatin in combination with the PARP inhibitor PJ34 prior to a cell viability assay and apoptotic nuclei measurement. PARP protein was detected in all four cell lines examined, although its activity varied between the cell lines. Treatment with PJ34 in combination with paclitaxel decreased endometrial cancer cell viability compared with treatment with paclitaxel alone. These results indicate that the inhibition of PARP with PJ34 sensitizes endometrial cancer cells to cytotoxic treatment with paclitaxel.