Evidence mapPaperPMID 40329326Full record

ReviewMolecular cancer2025

A comprehensive overview of ovarian cancer stem cells: correlation with high recurrence rate, underlying mechanisms, and therapeutic opportunities.

Hadi Alizadeh, Parastoo Akbarabadi, Alireza Dadfar, Mohammad Reza Tareh, Bahram Soltani

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

41 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. rRGD3International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Autophagy in Ovarian Cancer, an Opportunity or an Additional Threat?International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Hadi Alizadeh *Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran.
Parastoo Akbarabadi *Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran.
Alireza DadfarDepartment of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran.
Mohammad Reza TarehDepartment of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran.
Bahram SoltaniDepartment of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran. soltanib@modares.ac.ir.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies, with a recurrence rate of 70-80%, particularly in patients diagnosed at advanced stages (stage III or IV), where the five-year survival rate falls below 30%. A key driver of this recurrence is the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which exhibit resistance to chemotherapy and possess the capacity for self-renewal, plasticity, and tumor regeneration. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in maintaining ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) by providing nutrient and oxygen gradients, extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, immune cell modulation, and support from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs secrete growth factors, cytokines, and ECM components that create a pro-tumorigenic niche, promoting CSC maintenance, invasion, and chemoresistance. Additionally, dysregulation of critical signaling pathways, including WNT, NOTCH, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, TGF-β, JAK/STAT, Hedgehog, NF-κB, and Hippo, supports CSC stemness, plasticity, maintenance, and adaptability, thereby increasing their survival and progression. Numerous inhibitors targeting these pathways have shown promise in preclinical studies. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying CSC-mediated recurrence in ovarian cancer and highlights emerging therapeutic strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential of combination therapies involving routine platinum or taxane based regimens with OCSC inhibitors to overcome chemoresistance, reduce recurrence rates, and improve survival outcomes for patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

Indexed as

Neoplasm Recurrence, LocalNeoplastic Stem CellsOvarian NeoplasmsAnimalsBiomarkers, TumorDrug Resistance, NeoplasmFemaleHumansSignal TransductionTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkers, TumorCancer-associated fibroblastsCancer stem cell inhibitorsCancer stem cellsCombination therapyOvarian cancer

Identifiers

PMID40329326
PMCPMC12057202

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.