Keratin 5 expression defines cancer-propagating cells that are sustained by a hierarchically related osteopontin-producing niche in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Advanced HGSCs display marked cellular heterogeneity. A subset of tumor cells functions as cancer-propagating cells (CPCs, also referred to as cancer stem cells), which are highly tumorigenic and exhibit stem cell-associated properties, including self-renewal and chemoresistance. In contrast, a substantial fraction of HGSC cells is non-tumorigenic. The role of these non-cancer-propagating cells (non-CPCs) and their relationship to CPCs remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that neoplastic cells expressing the intermediate filament protein keratin 5 (KRT5) represent bona fide CPCs. KRT5⁺ cells form cancer organoids over successive passages, are tumorigenic in serial dilution xenograft assays, and are resistant to the antineoplastic agents doxorubicin and cisplatin. Single-cell lineage-tracing experiments show that KRT5⁺ CPCs give rise to KRT5⁻ cells. KRT5⁺ and KRT5⁻ populations exhibit distinct gene expression profiles, with KRT5⁻ cells characterized by expression of SPP1, which encodes the secreted factor osteopontin (OPN). Treatment with OPN enhances HGSC organoid growth and chemoresistance, whereas SPP1 knockdown reverses these effects. Together, these findings support a model in which HGSC contains two hierarchically related cell populations: KRT5⁺, OPN-responsive CPCs and KRT5⁻, non-tumorigenic cells that form a niche producing OPN. Targeting pathways that sustain both stem-like tumor cells and their supportive niche may enable reduced dosing of highly toxic chemotherapeutic agents while enhancing therapeutic efficacy in HGSC.