Wu Yadi, Zhou Binhua P
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2008 Jul;40(7):643-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2008.00443.x.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step during embryonic morphogenesis, heart development, chronic degenerative fibrosis, and cancer metastasis. Several distinct traits have been conveyed by EMT, including cell motility, invasiveness, resistance to apoptosis, and some properties of stem cells. Many signal pathways have contributed to the induction of EMT, such as transforming growth factor-beta, Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, and nuclear factor-kappaB. Over the last few years, increasing evidence has shown that EMT plays an essential role in tumor progression and metastasis. Understanding the molecular mechanism of EMT has a great effect in unraveling the metastatic cascade and may lead to novel interventions for metastatic disease.
上皮-间质转化(EMT)是胚胎形态发生、心脏发育、慢性退行性纤维化和癌症转移过程中的关键步骤。EMT赋予了细胞一些不同的特性,包括细胞运动性、侵袭性、抗凋亡能力以及干细胞的某些特性。许多信号通路都参与了EMT的诱导,如转化生长因子-β、Wnt、Hedgehog、Notch和核因子-κB。在过去几年中,越来越多的证据表明EMT在肿瘤进展和转移中起着至关重要的作用。了解EMT的分子机制对于阐明转移级联反应具有重要意义,并可能为转移性疾病带来新的干预措施。