Mitogen-activated protein kinases in normal and (pre)neoplastic ovarian surface epithelium

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are a group of serine/threonine kinases which are activated in response to a diverse array of extracellular stimuli and mediate signal transduction from the cell surface to the nucleus. It has been demonstrated that MAPKs are activated by external stimuli including chemotherapeutic agents, growth factors and reproductive hormones in ovarian surface epithelial cells. Thus, the MAPK signaling pathway may play an important role in the regulation of proliferation, survival and apoptosis in response to these external stimuli in ovarian cancer. In this article, an activation of the MAPK signaling cascade by several key reproductive hormones and growth factors in epithelial ovarian cancer is reviewed.