title: EMT: when epithelial cells decide to become mesenchymal-like cells.
abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for appropriate embryonic development, and this process is re-engaged in adults during wound healing, tissue regeneration, organ fibrosis, and cancer progression. Inflammation is a crucial conspirator in the emergence of EMT in adults but is absent during embryonic development. As highlighted in this Review series, EMT is now a recognized mechanism for dispersing cells in embryos, forming fibroblasts/mesenchymal cells in injured tissues, and initiating metastasis of epithelial cancer cells. Also discussed are proposals to classify EMT into three subtypes, each of which has different functional consequences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. rkalluri@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalluri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004194:Disease; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*