Identifying actionable targets for MRCK inhibition with BDP9066 in ovarian cancer

Candidate: Amin Nooranikhojasteh
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Olson

ABSTRACT

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) represents a lethal type of cancer, accounRng for approximately 70-80% of ovarian cancer deaths1. Despite advancements in treatment strategies, the overall survival rate remains poor, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis and the development of chemoresistance2. The idenRficaRon of novel biomarkers for HGSOC is crucial for improving early detecRon, predicRng prognosis, and developing targeted therapies. This study builds upon the work of Hasanain et al. (2018), who invesRgated funcRonal cell-surface markers in HGSOC, with a parRcular focus on CD151.3 While their study provided valuable insights into potenRal therapeuRc targets, the present analysis aims to expand on this by conducRng a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of HGSOC cell lines to idenRfy addiRonal biomarkers and explore the heterogeneity within these cancer cells. This study aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on HGSOC biology and potenRally inform future strategies for biomarker development and targeted therapies. The integraRon of mulRple analyRcal approaches, including dimensionality reducRon techniques, clustering algorithms, and funcRonal enrichment analyses, allows for a comprehensive exploraRon of the dataset and increases the robustness of the findings.