Abstract 5150: Adipose-derived stem cell disruption of gap junction intercellular communication in obesity-associated endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer. It is divided into two major types, a less aggressive endometrioid type and a more aggressive serous type. Recent clinical observations underscore obesity as a major risk factor for endometrial cancer. In this study, we hypothesized that obesity can result in long term epigenetic modifications in the endometrial compartment, leading to the promotion of endometrial cancer. We examined the role of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), which are adipocyte progenitors, in the endometrial tumor microenvironment. By staining for ASCs in a tumor tissue microarray, we observed ASC infiltration that was specific to samples from obese patients, correlating with body mass index (R2=0.77, p