Open AccessEpithelial-mesenchymal transition - activating transcription factors - multifunctional regulators in cancer
Author(s) -
Minal Garg
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
world journal of stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.907
H-Index - 18
ISSN - 1948-0210
DOI - 10.4252/wjsc.v5.i4.188
Subject(s) - epithelial–mesenchymal transition , wnt signaling pathway , transcription factor , notch signaling pathway , microbiology and biotechnology , hedgehog , mesenchymal stem cell , downregulation and upregulation , cancer research , biology , signal transduction , genetics , gene
The process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), first noted during embryogenesis, has also been reported in tumor formation and leads to the development of metastatic growth. It is a naturally occurring process that drives the transformation of adhesive, non-mobile epithelial like cells into mobile cells with a mesenchymal phenotype that have ability to migrate to distant anatomical sites. Activating complex network of embryonic signaling pathways, including Wnt, Notch, hedgehog and transforming growth factor-β pathways, lead to the upregulation of EMT activating transcription factors, crucial for normal tissue development and maintenance. However, deregulation of tightly regulated pathways affecting the process of EMT has been recently investigated in various human cancers. Given the critical role of EMT in metastatic tumor formation, better understanding of the mechanistic regulation provides new opportunities for the development of potential therapeutic targets of clinical importance.