Harnessing Therapy-Induced Senescence for the Treatment of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer often comes back after treatment, and when it does, it’s usually harder to treat. One reason for this may be that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by entering a temporary “sleep mode” called senescence. These “sleeping” cells can later wake up and cause the cancer to come back. In this thesis, we explored how these cells behave and survive. By treating ovarian cancer cells with chemotherapy drugs, we found changes in how these cells handle stress, use energy, and control inflammation. We also discovered specific genes that help these cells stay in this “sleeping” state. These findings provide valuable insights into the biology of these cells and suggest new therapeutic opportunities to improve outcomes in ovarian cancer patients.