Non-coding RNAs take centre stage in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Noncoding RNAs are emerging as central players in gene expression regulation through the targeting of a plethora of mRNAs. Several recent papers report on the regulation of the epithelial phenotype by the miR-200 (200 family of miRNAs) family and a natural antisense transcript, both acting on the E-cadherin repressors zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox factors ZEB1 and ZEB2. These findings open new avenues for understanding the modulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in physiological and pathological situations.