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Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: August 27, 2013
Involvement of claudins 6 and 9 in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the metastatic process
Naresh E Diego1, Luis F Montaño1, Erika P Rendon-Huerta1
1Departamento de Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México.
Abstract:
Claudins are essential components of tight junctions, and their abnormal expression is linked to cancer development. Claudin-6 (CLDN6) and Claudin-9 (CLDN9) are claudins whose expression is suppressed post-development but reinduced in various malignancies. This review highlights the distinct yet complementary roles of CLDN6 and CLDN9 during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and their contributions to cell migration and invasion in cancer. CLDN9 primarily enhances cell migration by inducing cytoskeletal rearrangement and activating pathways, including MAPK and Tyk2/STAT3. Moreover, CLDN9 overexpression is associated with pseudopodia formation, glycolytic remodeling, and immune evasion. Conversely, CLDN6 is more strongly linked to cell invasiveness and matrix degradation, primarily through the induction of MMPs via the EGFR/mTOR and PI3K/AKT pathways. CLDN6 also plays a role in stemness and therapy resistance in specific cancers. While CLDN6 and CLDN9 can function independently, their co-expression is connected with aggressive tumor behavior and poor prognosis, suggesting a synergistic process that promotes migration and invasion.
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