# Targeting STAT3 in Ovarian Cancer- Center for Integrated Biomedical and Bioengineering (CIBBR)

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE · 2021 · $300,688

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Ovarian cancer remains a deadly disease in part due to ovarian cancer metastasis. Spheroids, clusters of ovarian
cancer cells, interact and clear the protective mesothelial layer that lines the peritoneum in the early stages of
ovarian cancer metastasis. There is a gap in knowledge regarding the signaling pathways and genes involved
in mesothelial clearance. By not knowing these pathways, this may affect the ability to design drugs to target
ovarian cancer metastasis. The STAT3 signaling pathway plays a role in mesothelial clearance. However, it is
not known how the interaction of ovarian spheroids with mesothelial cells affects STAT3 activation in ovarian
cancer cells. Endometriosis, a benign disease that may promote infertility and increase risk for ovarian cancer,
has some similarities to ovarian cancer as the endometrioid cells also interact with the mesothelial cells, and
STAT3 activation is elevated in patients with endometriosis. Statins, inhibitors of HMGCR, are often used to
lower cholesterol; however, there is evidence that statins also inhibit STAT3. The long-term objective of this work
is to develop drugs for the treatment of metastatic ovarian cancer. The central hypothesis is that interaction with
mesothelial cells modulates STAT3 activity that can be attenuated with statin treatment. Aim 1 will determine the
effects of interacting with mesothelial cells on STAT3 activation and define the mechanism of STAT3 inhibition
by statins. Aim 2 will determine STAT3 target gene expression changes during mesothelial clearance that are
blocked by statin treatment using single cell RNA-seq. Ovarian cancer cells will be compared to endometrioid
cells to potentially identify cancer specific STAT3 target genes. Overall, the outcomes of the proposed work may
provide a more complete understanding of the role of STAT3 in ovarian cancer metastasis and provide insight
into the role of STAT3 in endometriosis, two gynecologic diseases that may greatly impact women across their
lifespan.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10395120
- **Project number:** 3P20GM113131-05S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
- **Principal Investigator:** Rick H Cote
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $300,688
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10395120

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10395120, Targeting STAT3 in Ovarian Cancer- Center for Integrated Biomedical and Bioengineering (CIBBR) (3P20GM113131-05S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10395120. Licensed CC0.

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