Kanwal Rimsha, Esposito Jessica Elisabetta, Jawed Bilal, Zakir Syed Khuram, Pulcini Riccardo, Martinotti Riccardo, Botteghi Matteo, Gaudio Francesco, Martinotti Stefano, Toniato Elena
Centre of Advanced Studies and Technology, Department of Innovative Technology in Medicine and Dentistry, G.d' Annunzio University, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
Unit of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, Miulli Generale Hospital, 70021 Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy.
Cancers (Basel). 2025 Feb 5;17(3):529. doi: 10.3390/cancers17030529.
The epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process in which epithelial cells lose their polarity and adhesion characteristics, and adopt a mesenchymal phenotype. While the EMT naturally occurs during tissue fibrosis, wound healing, and embryonic development, it can be exploited by cancer cells and is strongly associated with cancer stem cell formation, tissue invasiveness, apoptosis, and therapy resistance. Transcription factors (TFs) such as SNAIL, ZEB, and TWIST play a pivotal role in driving the EMT. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of EMT-TFs on hematological malignancy and solid tumors.
English-language literature published between 2010 and 2024 was systematically reviewed, utilizing databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar.
A total of 3250 studies were extracted. Of these, 92 publications meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed to elucidate the role of EMT-TFs in cancer. The results demonstrated that the EMT-TFs play a critical role in both hematological and solid tumor development and progression. They promote invasive, migratory, and metastatic properties in these tumors, and contribute to therapeutic challenges by enhancing chemoresistance. A strong correlation between EMT-TFs and poor overall survival has been identified.
Our research concluded that EMT-TFs may serve as important predictive and prognostic factors, as well as potential therapeutic targets to mitigate cancer progression.
上皮-间质转化（EMT）是一个生物学过程，在此过程中上皮细胞失去其极性和黏附特性，并呈现间质表型。虽然EMT自然发生于组织纤维化、伤口愈合和胚胎发育过程中，但癌细胞也可利用这一过程，并且它与癌症干细胞形成、组织侵袭性、细胞凋亡及治疗耐药性密切相关。SNAIL、ZEB和TWIST等转录因子（TFs）在驱动EMT过程中起关键作用。本系统评价旨在评估EMT-TFs对血液系统恶性肿瘤和实体瘤的影响。
系统检索2010年至2024年间发表的英文文献，利用PubMed和谷歌学术等数据库。
共提取3250项研究。其中，对92篇符合纳入标准的出版物进行分析，以阐明EMT-TFs在癌症中的作用。结果表明，EMT-TFs在血液系统恶性肿瘤和实体瘤的发生发展中均起关键作用。它们促进这些肿瘤的侵袭、迁移和转移特性，并通过增强化疗耐药性带来治疗挑战。已确定EMT-TFs与总体生存率差之间存在密切关联。
我们的研究得出结论，EMT-TFs可能作为重要的预测和预后因素，以及减轻癌症进展的潜在治疗靶点。
