On the left, a photo bubble shows the face of Amy Skubitz smiling. She has a brunette bob and fair skin. On the right is the text: "Amy Skubitz on new ovarian cancer research" with the MCC logo underneath.

New research offers hope for ovarian cancer patients facing chemotherapy resistance

For many people diagnosed with ovarian cancer, chemotherapy is a standard treatment. However, despite an initial response, most patients will experience a relapse within five years, and many will develop resistance to the drugs designed to fight their cancer. Here at the Masonic Cancer Center (MCC), University of Minnesota, a new study led by MCC researcher and Medical School professor Amy Skubitz, Ph.D., aims to change that by testing a new approach to make chemotherapy more effective.

The research, funded by the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, explores how blocking cancer cells from sticking together could help chemotherapy work better. Ovarian cancer spreads within the abdomen, forming clusters of cells known as spheroids. These clusters make the cancer harder to treat and more likely to return after chemotherapy. Skubitz and her team focused on a protein called Nectin-4, which plays a key role in cell adhesion—the process by which cells attach to one another.

In their study, researchers tested a peptide called N4-P10, which is a short chain of amino acids that comes from the Nectin-4 protein. The research team found that N4-P10 prevents cancer cells from forming clusters and, as a result, increases the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. Using live cell imaging—a technique that involves using microscopes to study living cells, so researchers can observe their biological processes in real time—the study team observed that ovarian cancer cells treated with N4-P10 were more vulnerable to chemotherapy, leading to a higher rate of cancer cell death.

This discovery is promising because it offers a potential new way to reduce chemotherapy resistance and lower the chances of cancer coming back. If this approach translates successfully to clinical settings, it could improve survival rates and quality of life for ovarian cancer patients here in Minnesota and far beyond.

While more research is needed before this treatment becomes widely available, the study represents an exciting step forward in the fight against ovarian cancer. By targeting the way cancer cells stick together, scientists are opening new doors for more effective therapies—bringing hope to patients and families impacted by this disease.