Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
Published on: April 7, 2017
Cell memory of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer
Jordi Berenguer1, Toni Celià-Terrassa1
1Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Fundamental biological processes of cell identity and cell fate determination are controlled by complex regulatory networks. These processes require molecular mechanisms that confer cellular phenotypic memory and state persistence. In this minireview, we will summarize mechanisms of cell memory based on regulatory hysteretic feedback loops and explore epigenetic mechanisms widely represented in nature, with special focus on epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity. We will also discuss the functional consequences of cell memory and epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity dynamics during development and cancer metastasis.
Related Concept Videos
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
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...
Cell Migration

