title: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT): A biological process in the development, stem cell differentiation, and tumorigenesis.
abstract: The lineage transition between epithelium and mesenchyme is a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), by which polarized epithelial cells lose their adhesion property and obtain mesenchymal cell phenotypes. EMT is a biological process that is often involved in embryogenesis and diseases, such as cancer invasion and metastasis. The EMT and the reverse process, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), also play important roles in stem cell differentiation and de-differentiation (or reprogramming). In this review, we will discuss current research progress of EMT in embryonic development, cellular differentiation and reprogramming, and cancer progression, all of which are representative models for researches of stem cell biology in normal and in diseases. Understanding of EMT and MET may help to identify specific markers to distinguish normal stem cells from cancer stem cells in future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Zack Z
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6702-2648
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: EMT; MET; cancer stem cells; reprogramming; stem cells