Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751004, India.
Med Oncol. 2023 May 29;40(7):190. doi: 10.1007/s12032-023-02049-y.
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a process in which epithelial cells lose their characteristics and acquire mesenchymal properties, leading to increased motility and invasiveness, which are key factors in cancer metastasis. Targeting EMP has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to combat cancer metastasis. Various strategies have been developed to target EMP, including inhibition of key signaling pathways, such as TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin, and Notch, that regulate EMP, as well as targeting specific transcription factors, such as Snail, Slug, and Twist, that promote EMP. Additionally, targeting the tumor microenvironment, which plays a critical role in promoting EMP, has also shown promise. Several preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of EMP-targeting therapies in inhibiting cancer metastasis. However, further research is needed to optimize these strategies and improve their clinical efficacy. Overall, therapeutic targeting of EMP represents a promising approach for the development of novel cancer therapies that can effectively inhibit metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related mortality.
上皮-间充质转化（EMT）是一种上皮细胞失去其特征并获得间充质特性的过程，导致迁移和侵袭性增加，这是癌症转移的关键因素。靶向 EMT 已成为一种有前途的治疗癌症转移的方法。已经开发了各种策略来靶向 EMT，包括抑制调节 EMT 的关键信号通路，如 TGF-β、Wnt/β-catenin 和 Notch，以及靶向特定转录因子，如 Snail、Slug 和 Twist，它们促进 EMT。此外，靶向肿瘤微环境，它在促进 EMT 中起着关键作用，也显示出了希望。一些临床前和临床研究已经证明了 EMT 靶向治疗在抑制癌症转移方面的疗效。然而，需要进一步的研究来优化这些策略并提高它们的临床疗效。总的来说，靶向 EMT 的治疗代表了开发新型癌症治疗方法的一种有前途的方法，这些方法可以有效地抑制转移，转移是癌症相关死亡的主要原因。
