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An Enzyme- and Serum-free Neural Stem Cell Culture Model for EMT Investigation Suited for Drug Discovery
Published on: August 23, 2016
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Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions during Neural Crest and Somite Development
1Edmond and Lili Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel. kalcheim@cc.huji.ac.il.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|December 30, 2015
Summary
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial for embryonic development, enabling cell migration and fate determination. Understanding EMT in development offers insights into diseases like cancer metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental biological process.
- EMT is essential for embryonic development, influencing cell migration and tissue formation.
- It also plays a role in segregating cell precursors into distinct cell types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the significance of EMT in embryonic development.
- To compare EMT mechanisms in different embryonic systems.
- To link developmental EMT to pathological processes like cancer metastasis.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of gene networks.
- Investigation of cellular processes in neural crest and somite development.
- Literature review of EMT mechanisms.
Main Results:
- EMT is vital for cell migration and morphogenesis in embryonic development.
- EMT drives the differentiation of precursor cells into specific fates.
- Neural crest and somite development exemplify EMT's importance.
- Similarities and differences in EMT gene networks are being identified.
Conclusions:
- Studying developmental EMT provides insights into cancer metastasis.
- Understanding the mechanistic logic of EMT in development is key.
- EMT is a conserved process with implications for both normal development and disease.
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