SummaryTo understand the chemokine network in a tissue, both chemokine and chemokine receptor expression should be studied. Human epithelial ovarian tumours express a range of chemokines but little is known about the expression and localisation of chemokine receptors. With the aim of understanding chemokine action in this cancer, we investigated receptors for CC-chemokines and their ligands in 25 biopsies of human ovarian cancer. CC-chemokine receptor mRNA was generally absent from solid tumours, the exception being CCR1 which was detected in samples from 75% of patients. CCR1 mRNA localised to macrophages and lymphocytes and there was a correlation between numbers of CD8 + and CCR1 expressing cells (P = 0.031). mRNA for 6 CC-chemokines was expressed in a majority of tumour samples. In a monocytic cell line in vitro, we found that CCR1 mRNA expression was increased 5-fold by hypoxia. We suggest that the CC-chemokine network in ovarian cancer is controlled at the level of CC-chemokine receptors and this may account for the phenotypes of infiltrating cells found in these tumours. The leukocyte infiltrate may contribute to tumour growth and spread by providing growth survival factors and matrix metalloproteases. Thus, CCR1 may be a novel therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.

All organisms, including humans, possess a huge number of uncharacterized enzymes. Here, we describe a general cell-based screen for enzyme substrate discovery by untargeted metabolomics and its application to identify α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 3 (ABHD3) as a lipase that selectively cleaves medium-chain and oxidatively-truncated phospholipids. Abhd3−/− mice possess elevated myristoyl (C14)-phospholipids, including the bioactive lipid C14-lysophosphatidylcholine, confirming the physiological relevance of our substrate assignments.

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Radical vaginal trachelectomy appears safe when performed in centres with appropriate experience of radical vaginal surgery and laparoscopic techniques. The impact of this new approach questions traditional teaching, thus preserving potential fertility in up until now impossible circumstances.

As the overall prognosis for patients with ovarian cancer is poor, the management of this condition should be restricted to expert multi-disciplinary teams in gynaecological oncology. Apparent early stage ovarian cancer requires accurate and complete staging so that potential sites for metastases are not missed. Omitting adequate staging may have significant consequences including a negative impact on survival rates in young patients. The challenge with advanced ovarian cancer is to obtain a detailed appreciation of the extent of disease. This information allows treatment with primary chemotherapy if the cancer is considered to be inoperable and/or the general condition of the patient renders her unfit for appropriate surgery. Available data would suggest that a 5-year survival rate of 50% is only possible for those patients who have had complete cytoreduction of all tumour. Therefore, the best surgical option for patients with advanced ovarian cancer is a complete primary surgical procedure that achieves complete clearance of the abdominal cavity rather than optimal surgery that leaves tumour nodules up to 1 cm in diameter in situ in the patient.