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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development
Published on: January 26, 2013
Where cell fate conversions meet Chinese philosophy
Hui Zheng1, Andrew Paul Hutchins1, Guangjin Pan1
1Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China.
Abstract:
Accumulating evidence indicates that the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are basic mechanisms for cell fate conversion and may help us understand both physiologic and pathologic processes such as development and carcinogenesis. Here, we further suggest that mammalian cells fall into two grand divisions, mesenchymal or epithelial; interconversions between these two grand divisions through EMT/MET resonate with some ancient Chinese philosophic ideas.
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