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Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

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Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
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The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
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Cell Migration01:19

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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their...
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Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon...
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Transdifferentiation, also known as lineage reprogramming, was first discovered by Selman and Kafatos in 1974 in silkmoths. They observed that the moths’ cuticle-producing cells transformed into salt-producing cells. Many such cases of natural transdifferentiation occur in organisms. In humans, pancreatic alpha cells can become beta cells. In newts, the loss of the eye’s lens causes the pigmented epithelial cells to transdifferentiate into the lens cells.
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Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
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EMT, cell plasticity and metastasis.

Christine L Chaffer1, Beatriz P San Juan2, Elgene Lim2,3

  • 1Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia. c.chaffer@garvan.org.au.

Cancer Metastasis Reviews
|November 24, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cancer cells undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to gain invasive traits, promoting metastasis. Understanding EMT and cancer cell plasticity is crucial for targeting advanced cancer progression and the metastatic cascade.

Keywords:
Cancer cell plasticityEMTMetastasisPartial-EMTTumor-initiating cells (TICs)

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Carcinoma cells can acquire invasive and metastatic traits by suppressing epithelial features and upregulating mesenchymal gene expression.
  • This process, known as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is a fundamental biological program involved in embryogenesis and wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss recent insights into the function of EMT in cancer progression.
  • To highlight the role of cancer cell plasticity during EMT in promoting metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current scientific literature on EMT and cancer progression.
  • Analysis of the molecular mechanisms driving EMT and its contribution to cancer cell plasticity.

Main Results:

  • EMT confers traits like migration, invasion, anoikis resistance, chemoresistance, and tumor-initiating potential to carcinoma cells.
  • Re-activation of EMT in cancer is linked to disease progression and enhanced metastatic phenotype.

Conclusions:

  • EMT plays a critical role in enabling carcinoma cells to complete the later stages of the metastatic cascade.
  • Targeting EMT and cancer cell plasticity holds potential for therapeutic strategies against metastatic cancer.