title: EMT and tumor metastasis.
abstract: EMT and MET comprise the processes by which cells transit between epithelial and mesenchymal states, and they play integral roles in both normal development and cancer metastasis. This article reviews these processes and the molecular pathways that contribute to them. First, we compare embryogenesis and development with cancer metastasis. We then discuss the signaling pathways and the differential expression and down-regulation of receptors in both tumor cells and stromal cells, which play a role in EMT and metastasis. We further delve into the clinical implications of EMT and MET in several types of tumors, and lastly, we discuss the role of epigenetic events that regulate EMT/MET processes. We hypothesize that reversible epigenetic events regulate both EMT and MET, and thus, also regulate the development of different types of metastatic cancers.
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Heerboth
authors: School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA.
authors: Genevieve
authors: G
authors: Housman
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Meghan
authors: M
authors: Leary
authors: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Mckenna
authors: M
authors: Longacre
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Shannon
authors: S
authors: Byler
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Lapinska
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Amber
authors: A
authors: Willbanks
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA.
authors: Sibaji
authors: S
authors: Sarkar