Targeting INHBA in Ovarian Cancer Cells Suppresses Cancer Xenograft Growth by Attenuating Stromal Fibroblast Activation

INHBA-encoded inhibin β A is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. INHBA has been reported to be implicated in the progression of multiple types of cancer including ovarian cancer (OC). However, the mechanisms by which INHBA affects OC progression are not well-characterized. The aim of our study was to explore the prognostic value of INHBA for different stages and grades of OC and to identify the possible mechanisms by which INHBA promotes OC progression. Our results demonstrated that INHBA was specifically expressed in OC epithelium, and higher expression was associated with higher risk of mortality in patients with advanced and higher-grade serous OC (SOC). In addition, knockdown of INHBA in cancer cells impaired cancer xenograft growth through reducing OC stromal fibroblast activation in vivo. Further results confirmed that Smad2 signaling pathway was involved in INHBA-induced stromal fibroblast activation, and inhibiting this pathway could effectively reverse activation of stromal fibroblasts. In summary, our results showed that blocking INHBA in cancer cells may be a potential therapeutic strategy to inhibit SOC progression.