Fructose released by chemo-surviving ovarian tumors may trigger metastasis

Scientists at The Wistar Institute discovered that ovarian cancer cells that persist after platinum-based chemotherapy emit fructose, which serves as a messenger prompting adjacent tumor cells to lose cholesterol-mediated adhesion and become more mobile. Experiments demonstrated that exposing untreated cancer cells to this fructose-rich secretome markedly boosted their metastatic potential, and that dietary levels of fructose comparable to sugary beverages could replicate the effect.

The team identified a drop in intracellular cholesterol as the mechanistic link, effectively loosening the cellular “glue.” Statins, widely used to reduce cholesterol, also weakened cell-cell contacts in the study, raising questions about their interaction with chemotherapy, though patients are not advised to stop the drugs. The researchers plan to test whether the same pathway operates in other abdominal cancers such as pancreatic, colon, and liver tumors.