title: Relevance of epithelial-to-pericyte transition in cancer.
abstract: The relevance of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer is still under debate. Recently, we reported that EMT bestows key pericyte properties on cancer cells and may thus represent epithelial-to-pericyte transition (EPT). Carcinoma cells undergo EPT to stabilize blood vessels and fuel primary tumor growth. Association of EPT cancer cells with vascular niches may also promote resistance to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Biomedical Sciences, California Health Sciences University , Clovis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Anitha K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine , Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
keywords: Blood vessel; EMT; EPT; N-cadherin; PDGFR-β; endothelial cell; metastasis; pericyte