title: Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in carcinoma metastasis.
abstract: Tumor metastasis is a multistep process by which tumor cells disseminate from their primary site and form secondary tumors at a distant site. Metastasis occurs through a series of steps: local invasion, intravasation, transport, extravasation, and colonization. A developmental program termed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to play a critical role in promoting metastasis in epithelium-derived carcinoma. Recent experimental and clinical studies have improved our knowledge of this dynamic program and implicated EMT and its reverse program, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), in the metastatic process. Here, we review the functional requirement of EMT and/or MET during the individual steps of tumor metastasis and discuss the potential of targeting this program when treating metastatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology.
authors.forename: Jeff H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: carcinoma metastasis; epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); extravasation; intravasation; invasion; mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET); tumor dormancy