The epithelial–mesenchymal transition: new insights in signaling, development, and disease

Abstract

The conversion of an epithelial cell to a mesenchymal cell is critical to metazoan embryogenesis and a defining structural feature of organ development. Current interest in this process, which is described as an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), stems from its developmental importance and its involvement in several adult pathologies. Interest and research in EMT are currently at a high level, as seen by the attendance at the recent EMT meeting in Vancouver, Canada (October 1–3, 2005). The meeting, which was hosted by The EMT International Association, was the second international EMT meeting, the first being held in Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia in October 2003. The EMT International Association was formed in 2002 to provide an international body for those interested in EMT and the reverse process, mesenchymal–epithelial transition, and, most importantly, to bring together those working on EMT in development, cancer, fibrosis, and pathology. These themes continued during the recent meeting in Vancouver.Discussion at the Vancouver meeting spanned several areas of research, including signaling pathway activation of EMT and the transcription factors and gene targets involved. Also covered in detail was the basic cell biology of EMT and its role in cancer and fibrosis, as well as the identification of new markers to facilitate the observation of EMT in vivo. This is particularly important because the potential contribution of EMT during neoplasia is the subject of vigorous scientific debate (Tarin, D., E.W. Thompson, and D.F. Newgreen. 2005. Cancer Res. 65:5996–6000; Thompson, E.W., D.F. Newgreen, and D. Tarin. 2005. Cancer Res. 65:5991–5995).

Histopathological, Molecular, and Genetic Profile of Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer: Current Knowledge and Challenges for the Future

“…CK expression in both differentiated and dedifferentiated SRCCs had also been described in previous studies [64,69]. Moreover, N-cadherin, an EMT marker with increased expression in the presence of EMT [73] was not observed in intramucosal foci of SRC [52]. In conclusion, the role of EMT in the development of aggressive and widely invasive HDGC from early and indolent microscopic foci is uncertain and further analysis of these lesions is necessary to understand the molecular events required for the progression from indolent intramucosal lesions to widely invasive carcinomas.…”

Identification of differential expressed lncRNAs in human thyroid cancer by a genome‐wide analyses

“…In this study, we found that LINC00704 could affect epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by regulating E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, and β‐catenin expression in thyroid cancer. EMT is a biologic process by which epithelial cells lose their polarity and gain migratory and invasive properties to transition into a mesenchymal phenotype 31. EMT has been determined to be essential for numerous developmental processes, and increasing evidence reveals that EMT also occurs in the initiation of tumor cells metastasis during cancer progression 32.…”

Prognostic value of association of OCT4 with LEF1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their impact on epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, invasion, and migration

“…The characteristic of EMT is that cells acquire mesenchymal cell markers (eg, N‐cadherin and vimentin) and lose epithelial cell markers (eg, E‐cadherin) 5, 6. EMT occurs during the progression of tumors of various origins, including prostate, breast, hepatic, gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12…”