Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Semin Cancer Biol. 2012 Jun;22(3):194-207. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2012.02.013. Epub 2012 Mar 8.
Epithelial cancers make up the vast majority of cancer types and, during the transition from benign adenoma to malignant carcinoma and metastasis, epithelial tumor cells acquire a de-differentiated, migratory and invasive behavior. This process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) goes along with dramatic changes in cellular morphology, the loss and remodeling of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions, and the gain of migratory and invasive capabilities. EMT itself is a multistage process, involving a high degree of cellular plasticity and a large number of distinct genetic and epigenetic alterations, as fully differentiated epithelial cells convert into poorly differentiated, migratory and invasive mesenchymal cells. In the past years, a plethora of genes have been identified that are critical for EMT and metastasis formation. Notably, the EMT process not only induces increased cancer cell motility and invasiveness but also allows cancer cells to avoid apoptosis, anoikis, oncogene addiction, cellular, senescence and general immune defense. Notably, EMT seems to play a critical role in the generation and maintenance of cancer stem cells, highly consistent with the notion that metastatic cells carry the ability to initiate new tumors.
上皮性癌构成了绝大多数癌症类型，在从良性腺瘤向恶性癌和转移的转变过程中，上皮肿瘤细胞获得去分化、迁移和侵袭的行为。这种上皮-间充质转化（EMT）过程伴随着细胞形态的剧烈变化，细胞-细胞和细胞-基质黏附的丧失和重塑，以及迁移和侵袭能力的获得。EMT 本身是一个多阶段的过程，涉及到高度的细胞可塑性和大量不同的遗传和表观遗传改变，因为完全分化的上皮细胞转化为分化不良、迁移和侵袭性的间充质细胞。在过去的几年中，已经鉴定出了大量对 EMT 和转移形成至关重要的基因。值得注意的是，EMT 过程不仅诱导癌细胞运动性和侵袭性增加，而且还允许癌细胞逃避细胞凋亡、失巢凋亡、致癌基因成瘾、细胞衰老和一般免疫防御。值得注意的是，EMT 似乎在上皮性癌干细胞的产生和维持中发挥关键作用，这与转移性细胞具有启动新肿瘤的能力的观点高度一致。
