title: Phenotypic plasticity and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the behaviour and therapeutic response of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: It is increasingly recognised that phenotypic plasticity, apparently driven by epigenetic mechanisms, plays a key role in tumour behaviour and markedly influences the important processes of therapeutic survival and metastasis. An important source of plasticity in malignancy is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a common epigenetically controlled event that results in transition of malignant cells between different phenotypic states that confer motility and enhance survival. In this review, we discuss the importance of phenotypic plasticity and its contribution to cellular heterogeneity in oral squamous cell carcinoma with emphasis on aspects of drug resistance and EMT.
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Navin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vig
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ian C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biddle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D000066670:Cell Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: cancer; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; heterogeneity; mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition; plasticity