NIH:OVCAR-3 human ovarian cancer model

Author: Gunisha Arora, PhD, Medical and Scientific Writer, Scientific Development
Date: May 2025
 

Ovarian cancer, a formidable gynecological malignancy, poses a significant threat to women's health worldwide.¹ Its nature often leads to late-stage diagnosis, contributing to poor prognosis and limited treatment options. To unravel the complexities of this disease and pave the way for effective therapeutic strategies, extensive in vitro and in vivo research is crucial. The NIH:OVCAR-3 cell line stands out as a widely utilized and well-characterized model in this research.² 

Derived from a patient with metastatic ovarian adenocarcinoma, NIH:OVCAR-3 cells exhibit characteristics representative of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, the most common and aggressive subtype.² Their consistent growth, ease of manipulation in laboratory settings, retention of several key molecular features of the original tumor, and presence of hormone receptors have rendered them an invaluable tool for investigating the underlying mechanisms of ovarian cancer development, progression and drug resistance, and evaluation of hormonal therapy.³ 

At Labcorp, we have run several studies using the NIH:OVCAR-3 model of human ovarian cancer in the subcutaneous (SC) setting in NSG mice with multiple standard agents and vehicles. This model has shown reproducible growth across different studies with a high latency period before tumor development. Its specific growth patterns and treatment responses, detailed below, ultimately provide critical data that informs development of novel therapies for ovarian cancer.

Growth kinetics

Figure 1. Growth kinetics of subcutaneous NIH:OVCAR-3 tumors. Top left: mean tumor burden (mm3) ± SE; top right: percent body weight change ± SE; bottom left: individual tumor growth curves. 

Responses to treatments

Figure 2. Efficacy of multiple standard of care agents targeting subcutaneously implanted NIH:OVCAR-3 tumor model. Left: mean tumor burden (mm3) ± SE; right: percent body weight change ± SE; bottom left: progression-free survival by group.

Histopathology and biomarker expression

We further analyzed MUC16, a protein that interacts with various elements and is involved in tumor progression through diverse mechanisms. Its repeating peptide epitope, CA125, serves as a valuable biomarker aiding in cancer detection and influencing both immunotherapy and patient prognosis.⁴
 

Figure 3. Representative immunohistochemical images of untreated NIH:OVCAR-3 tumor at 20X magnification: A. Hematoxylin and eosin staining. B. MUC16 staining. C. Primary omitted control staining. 

Figure 4. MSD analysis for CA125 concentration in serum in different treatment groups of NIH:OVCAR-3 SC tumor model. 

Characterized by its specific growth patterns and diverse responses to therapeutic interventions, the NIH:OVCAR-3 model provides essential preclinical data for the development and evolution of novel therapies aimed at combating ovarian cancer. 
For other ovarian cancer models, check out our cell line list.

Note: Please note that all animal care and use was conducted according to animal welfare regulations in an AAALAC-accredited facility with IACUC protocol review and approval.
 

References

1. Arora T, Mullangi S, Vadakekut ES, Lekkala MR. Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567760/
2. Bradbury A, O’Donnell R, Drew Y, Curtin NJ, Sharma SS. Characterisation of ovarian cancer cell line NIH-OVCAR3 and implications of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and functional DNA damage response biomarkers for therapeutic targeting. Cancers. 2020;12(7):1939. doi:10.3390/cancers12071939
3. NIH:OVCAR-3 [OVCAR3]. Package insert. ATCC. https://www.atcc.org/products/htb-161#detailed-product-information
4. Zhang XY, Hong LL, Ling ZQ. MUC16: clinical targets with great potential. Clin ExpMed. 2024;24(1):101. doi:10.1007/s10238-024-01365-5