EFFECTS OF HUMAN ADIPOSE TISSUE-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL-CONDITIONED MEDIUM AND MELATONIN IN OVARIAN CANCER CELL LINES

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women and the most lethal gynecological neoplasm due to its late detection, recurrence, and metastasis. Evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment is composed of heterogeneous populations of cells with different levels of malignancy and that tumor development is driven by a subset of specialized cells, characterized by the properties of self-renewal and multipotency, designated as cancer stem cells (CSC). CSC can originate from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), such as those derived from human adipose tissue (ADSC), which are subject to malignant differentiation from factors secreted by cancer cells, mainly through extracellular vesicles, which provide a more aggressive and chemoresistant form of OC against conventional therapies. It has long been shown that melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, can act as a potential therapy against cancer due to its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antiangiogenic, and pro-apoptotic functions.