The Tumor Microenvironment of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

The Special Issue on high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and the contribution of the tumor micro-environment (TME) consisted of reviews contributed by leaders in the ovarian cancer (OC) field. As HGSOC metastases have a highly complex TME, there is an urgent need to better understand the TME in general, its distinct components in particular, and the role of the TME in the context of disease recurrence and development of chemoresistance. The Special Issue integrated the current understanding of the TME components, including malignant cells, surrounding host stromal cells, and infiltrating (recruited) immune cells. In addition to cellular contributors to the TME, the role of ascites fluid components including soluble factors such as cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors; cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesion molecules; extracellular matrix remodeling; and abnormal vascular and lymphatic networks were the subject of reviews. Reviews covered the relationship between the molecular mechanisms of HGSOC progression, including genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic changes, and alterations of the immune cell landscape, as these may provide attractive new molecular targets for HGSOC therapy