Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most fatal gynecologic cancer in the U.S., resulting in >14,000 deaths/year. Most women are diagnosed at late stage with widely disseminated intra-peritoneal metastatic disease, resulting in a 5-year survival rate of <30%. EOCs spread via direct extension and exfoliation into the peritoneal cavity, adhesion to peritoneal mesothelial cells, mesothelial cell retraction to expose sub-mseothelial matrix and anchoring in the type I collagen-rich matrix to generate secondary lesions. As a molecular-level understanding of EOC metastasis may identify novel therapeutic targets, the current study evaluated the expression and activity of integrin-linked kinase (ILK), a Ser/Thr protein kinase activated upon integrin-mediated adhesion. Results show that ILK is co-expressed in EOC with the pro-metastatic enzyme membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and catalyzed phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic tail of the proteinase. Downregulation of ILK expression or activity reduced adhesion to and invasion of collagen gels and organotypic meso-mimetic cultures. As an initial early event in EOC metastasis is integrin-mediated adhesion, these results suggest that further evaluation of ILK inhibitors as anti-metastatic agents in EOC is warranted.
Keywords: integrin; integrin linked kinase; membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase; metastasis; ovarian cancer.