title: EMT and MET as paradigms for cell fate switching.
abstract: Cell fate determination is a major unsolved problem in cell and developmental biology. The discovery of reprogramming by pluripotent factors offers a rational system to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with cell fate decisions. The idea that reprogramming of fibroblasts starts with a mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) suggests that the process is perhaps a reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) found frequently during early embryogenesis. As such, we believe that investigations into MET-EMT may yield detailed molecular insights into cell fate decisions, not only for the switching between epithelial and mesenchymal cells, but also other cell types.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology,  South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530,  China.
authors.forename: Jiekai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qingkai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Duanqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction