Expression of aFGF, bFGF, and FGFR1 in ovarian epithelial neoplasm

Ovarian epithelial cancer is a common malignant ovarian neoplasm with a high mortality. The factors that regulate the rapid growth of ovarian epithelial cancers are still largely unknown. There are some evidences indicating that oncogene can confer growth factor automatically onto cancer cells. The autocrine secretion hypothesis proposes that, as a result of oncogene activation, neoplastic cells can escape growth-restraining mechanism by independently producing and responding to their own growth factors. In recent years, attention has focused on fibroblast growth factor (FGF), as well as acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), because it is a polypeptide growth factor with a widespread biological activity. In order to explore the factors responsible for the rapid growth and proliferation of human ovarian cancer, we investigated the possible role of aFGF and bFGF and their receptors (FGFR1).