title: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer: Is it a clinically significant factor?
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive solid malignancies. This aggressiveness is partly attributable to extensive local tumor invasion and early systemic dissemination as well as resistance to chemotherapy. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays fundamental roles in embryonic development and in the differentiation of normal tissues and organs. EMT also plays critical roles in tumor formation, dissemination and drug resistance in pancreatic cancer. Emerging data suggest that inhibiting EMT may reverse the EMT phenotype and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents against pancreatic cancer cells. Thus, an understanding of the molecular biology of EMT in pancreatic cancer may provide insights into the mechanisms of tumor invasion and metastatic progression and facilitate the development of alternative therapeutic approaches to improve the treatment outcomes for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Jia-Hao
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Quan-Xing
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China. Electronic address: yuxianjun88@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xian-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition; Metastasis; Pancreatic cancer; Prognosis; Therapy; Tumorigenesis