A comparison of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and re-epithelialization. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Wound healing and cancer metastasis share a common starting point, namely, a change in the phenotype of some cells from stationary to motile. The term, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) describes the changes in molecular biology and cellular physiology that allow a cell to transition from a sedentary cell to a motile cell, a process that is relevant not only for cancer and regeneration, but also for normal development of multicellular organisms. The present review compares the similarities and differences in cellular response at the molecular level as tumor cells enter EMT or as keratinocytes begin the process of re-epithelialization of a wound. Looking toward clinical interventions that might modulate these processes, the mechanisms and outcomes of current and potential therapies are reviewed for both anti-cancer and pro-wound healing treatments related to the pathways that are central to EMT. Taken together, the comparison of re-epithelialization and tumor EMT serves as a starting point for the development of therapies that can selectively modulate different forms of EMT.

publication date

  • July 31, 2012

Research

keywords

  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Re-Epithelialization

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC3595494

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84866341656

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1002/jcp.24109

PubMed ID

  • 22863788

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 22

issue

  • 5-6