Epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity in carcinoma metastasis

Tumor metastasis is a multistep process by which tumor cells disseminate from their primary site and form secondary tumors at a distant site. Metastasis occurs through a series of steps: local invasion, intravasation, transport, extravasation, and colonization. A developmental program termed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to play a critical role in promoting metastasis in epithelium-derived carcinoma. Recent experimental and clinical studies have improved our knowledge of this dynamic program and implicated EMT and its reverse program, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), in the metastatic process. Here, we review the functional requirement of EMT and/or MET during the individual…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Defense

  Awards: W81XWH, W81XWH-13-1-0132, W81XWH-13
• HF
  Hartwell Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: W81XWH, T32CA121938, 1RO1CA168689, 1DP2OD002420
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Awards: 1RO1CA168689, T32CA121938