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Role of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Tumor Progression
N A Gloushankova1, I Y Zhitnyak2, S N Rubtsova2
1Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 115478, Russia. natglu@hotmail.com.
Biochemistry. Biokhimiia
|March 18, 2019
Summary
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) drives tumor progression by enabling cell migration and invasion. This process, crucial in cancer, confers chemoresistance and immune suppression, impacting patient prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process in development and disease.
- EMT is implicated in tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in carcinomas.
- E-cadherin downregulation is a poor prognostic indicator in cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of EMT in cancer progression.
- To understand the characteristics of incomplete EMT and the hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype.
- To explore the implications of EMT on cancer cell adaptability and treatment response.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on EMT in carcinomas.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms driving EMT.
- Examination of the role of E-cadherin and adherens junctions.
Main Results:
- EMT promotes tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.
- Incomplete EMT results in a hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype with altered E-cadherin function.
- EMT confers resistance to chemotherapy and immune suppression.
- EMT activation is linked to cancer stem cell emergence.
Conclusions:
- EMT is a critical driver of aggressive cancer phenotypes.
- The hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype offers adaptive advantages to cancer cells.
- Targeting EMT pathways may offer novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
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