/ News, Research / Martina Konantz
Ovarian Cancer Reprograms the Omentum — The Body’s Abdominal Shield (Heinzelmann/Jacob Lab)
The omentum is a remarkable organ: like a protective blanket, it drapes over the abdominal organs, stores fat, and supports the immune system in fighting inflammation and infection. Yet these same functions make it the preferred site of metastasis in ovarian cancer – almost all patients with advanced disease develop tumor deposits there. A research team led by Viola Heinzelmann-Schwarz and Francis Jacob, together with collaborators from ETH Zurich, the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, and Charles University/Sotio Biotech in Prague, has created the most comprehensive cell atlas of the human omentum to date. Published in Nature communications, the study reveals how ovarian cancer reprograms this organ at the cellular level to support its own spread.
The omentum under transformation – what happens when cancer arrives
Using single-cell RNA sequencing and tissue analysis from patients with and without metastases, the researchers show that the omentum undergoes dramatic changes once tumor cells take hold:
- Loss of protective immune and stem cell populations: The normal tissue structure disintegrates, regenerative cell types vanish, and the organ loses its ability to repair itself.
- Immune system reprogramming: Immune cells become more numerous but shift into states that actually promote rather than fight tumor progression.
- Early colonization and “pre-metastatic priming”: Even seemingly healthy regions already contain individual tumor cells and inflammatory reactions that prepare the ground for new metastases.
- Newly proposed origin of cancer-associated fibroblasts: Mesothelial cells, which normally form a protective surface layer, can transform into cancer-associated fibroblasts – a process that contributes to the formation of the metastatic stroma and supprts tumor growth.
Together, these findings reveal how ovarian cancer functionally rewires the omentum, turning a defensive organ into an ally of metastasis. The study opens new avenues for therapies aimed at preventing cancer from remodeling its environment and may also influence surgical strategies. “Based on these insights, it might be more beneficial to remove the entire omentum during surgery rather than only the visibly affected parts, potentially reducing recurrence,” notes Francis Jacob. “Whether this approach improves patient outcomes will need to be evaluated in future clinical studies.” With the creation of this human omentum atlas, the team provides a valuable resource for cancer research and lays the groundwork for strategies that could slow or stop ovarian cancer progression within the abdominal cavity.
Congratulations to the team
This achievement highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration between clinicians, biologists, and computational scientists across Basel, Zurich, and Prague. Congratulations to all team members and partners for their outstanding contribution to advancing our understanding of ovarian cancer and metastasis biology.
Collaborating institutions: University Hospital Basel and University of Basel · ETH Zurich · Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics · Sotio Biotech Prague · Charles University Prague
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