Lipid droplets: a candidate new research field for epithelial ovarian cancer

TL;DR

This paper suggests that lipid droplets could be a new research focus for understanding and treating ovarian and kidney cancers with clear cell features.

Contribution

The paper proposes lipid droplets as a novel area for exploring biological similarities between ovarian and renal clear cell carcinomas.

Findings

OCCC and ccRCC share histological features and some genetic similarities.

Lipid droplet accumulation is important in ccRCC but understudied in OCCC.

Lipid metabolism may relate to PARP inhibition treatment in ovarian cancer.

Abstract

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a histological subtype that constitutes approximately 20% of epithelial ovarian cancer cases in Asian countries, but has a relatively low incidence in Western countries. Meanwhile, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a major subtype of kidney cancer. OCCC and ccRCC resemble one another histologically and have clear cytoplasmic appearances. Studies have revealed some genetic similarities between OCCC and ccRCC. However, information regarding common biological background factors between these cancers remains scarce. For example, accumulation of cellular lipid droplets was shown to play a crucial role in ccRCC progression, while similar information is lacking for OCCC. In this perspective article, we propose that lipid droplets may be candidates for future exploration to better understand the common biological backgrounds between OCCC and ccRCC, potentially leading to subtype-specific treatment strategies. We further discuss the relationship between poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibition treatment and lipid metabolism because this therapeutic strategy has attracted considerable attention as a treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer.

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