Journal
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
Volume 13, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/bcr3037
Keywords
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Categories
Funding
- National Cancer Institute [2RO1-CA095277, 1R01-CA157790, 1R01-CA124545-01]
- American Cancer Society [RSG-07-183-01-DDC]
- Department of Defense [BC084105]
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation-American Association for Cancer Research
- State of Colorado
- Cancer League of Colorado
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The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical developmental process that has recently come to the forefront of cancer biology. In breast carcinomas, acquisition of a mesenchymal-like phenotype that is reminiscent of an EMT, termed oncogenic EMT, is associated with pro-metastatic properties, including increased motility, invasion, anoikis resistance, immunosuppression and cancer stem cell characteristics. This oncogenic EMT is a consequence of cellular plasticity, which allows for interconversion between epithelial and mesenchymal-like states, and is thought to enable tumor cells not only to escape from the primary tumor, but also to colonize a secondary site. Indeed, the plasticity of cancer cells may explain the range of pro-metastatic traits conferred by oncogenic EMT, such as the recently described link between EMT and cancer stem cells and/or therapeutic resistance. Continued research into this relationship will be critical in developing drugs that block mechanisms of breast cancer progression, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
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