title: Mechanisms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
abstract: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a blinding disease characterized by the formation of epiretinal membranes through the wound repair process. Though the mechanisms of PVR development are still not fully understood, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are indicated to play the primary role in the pathogenesis of PVR. In the setting of PVR, RPE cells undergo a process named epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), by which differentiated epithelial cells go through a phenotypic conversion that gives rise to the matrix-producing fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Recent studies indicated that EMT in RPE cells is a main contributor of PVR and involves various growth factors/cytokines, transcriptional factors, and microRNAs. Targeting these factors/microRNAs suppresses the progression of EMT and thus may provide novel ideas for the treatment of PVR. This review highlights the current understandings of EMT in the pathogenesis of PVR and the underlying mechanisms of EMT in RPE cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018630:Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D014157:Transcription Factors