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AKT-ions with a TWIST between EMT and MET
Huifang Tang1, Daniela Massi2, Brian A Hemmings3
1Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
Oncotarget
|September 14, 2016
Summary
The transcription factor Twist drives epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in breast cancer. Understanding how kinases activate Twist is key to developing new cancer biomarkers and therapies.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- The transcription factor Twist regulates cranial suture development and neural tube closure via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
- EMT involves changes in cell morphology and motility, crucial for embryogenesis and also implicated in cancer metastasis.
- Other factors like Snail and Zeb can also induce EMT, but Twist's role in breast cancer metastasis is a key focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the mechanisms underlying the activation of EMT-inducing transcription factors, particularly Twist.
- To investigate the role of intracellular kinases in regulating Twist activity and its downstream effects.
- To understand how Twist-mediated EMT contributes to cancer progression and identify potential clinical biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Twist, EMT, and cancer metastasis.
- Analysis of studies investigating kinase signaling pathways affecting EMT transcription factors.
- Examination of correlations between EMT transcription factor overexpression and patient outcomes.
Main Results:
- Twist is a critical regulator of EMT, driving metastasis in breast cancer models.
- Overexpression of EMT transcription factors, including Twist, correlates with poorer outcomes in various carcinomas.
- Intracellular kinases are increasingly recognized as activators of these transcription factors, mediating signal transduction.
Conclusions:
- Twist and related EMT transcription factors are vital for cell plasticity and cancer progression.
- Kinase-mediated activation of Twist is a crucial mechanism controlling EMT and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET).
- Further understanding of Twist phosphorylation and activation by kinases is essential for clinical applications, including biomarker development and targeted therapies.