title: Snail1-driven plasticity of epithelial and mesenchymal cells sustains cancer malignancy.
abstract: The transcription factor Snail1 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor epithelial cells, a process associated with the emergence of stemness, invasion and cancer malignancy. Here, we review recent reports indicating that Snail1 also regulates mesenchymal plasticity and paracrine signaling and propose that Snail1 orchestrates the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Our view supports the current models for tumorigenesis that consider stemness and tumor microenvironment as retroactive actors for metastasis formation, revealing Snail1 as a regulator of these metastatic forces. This view offers new perspectives for understanding and targeting metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Recerca en Càncer, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jbaulida@imim.es.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baulida
authors.affiliation: Programa de Recerca en Càncer, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García de Herreros
mesh_terms: D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C000604407:SNAI1 protein, human; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: CAF Cancer associated fibroblasts; CSC Cancer stem cell; EMT Epithelial to mesenchymal transition; Mechanical signalling; Metastasis; Snail1; TGF-beta; Tumor microenvironment