Fig. 3.

Tumor stiffness stimulates EOC cells by activating integrin/FAK and its subsequent signaling pathways: Rho/ROCK pathway, and Hippo pathway. MEK/MAPK pathway is also stimulated by stiff external stimuli, and it might be activated by integrin/FAK. These signal pathways responding to tumor stiffness facilitates tumor progression. Stiffness may also augment collagen production via Hippo pathway in OCAMs or CAFs. These reactions against tumor stiffness also promote tumor progression and more collagen production, augmenting tumor stiffness. Abbreviations: EOC, epithelial ovarian cancer; OCAM, ovarian-cancer associated mesothelial cell; CAF, cancer-associated fibroblast