title: Targeting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) to Overcome Drug Resistance in Cancer.
abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to play an important role in cancer progression, metastasis and drug resistance. Although there are controversies surrounding the causal relationship between EMT and cancer metastasis, the role of EMT in cancer drug resistance has been increasingly recognized. Numerous EMT-related signaling pathways are involved in drug resistance in cancer cells. Cells undergoing EMT show a feature similar to cancer stem cells (CSCs), such as an increase in drug efflux pumps and anti-apoptotic effects. Therefore, targeting EMT has been considered a novel opportunity to overcome cancer drug resistance. This review describes the mechanism by which EMT contributes to drug resistance in cancer cells and summarizes new advances in research in EMT-associated drug resistance.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China. dbw@mail.ustc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China. jsshim@umac.mo.
authors.forename: Joong Sup
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055808:Drug Discovery; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: cancer stem cells; chemotherapy; drug resistance; epithelial–mesenchymal transition