Year: 2017
Type: review
Abstract: During epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cells lose epithelial characteristics and acquire mesenchymal properties. These two processes are genetically separable and governed by distinct transcriptional programs, rendering the EMT outputs highly heterogeneous. Our recent study shows that the mesenchymal products generated by EMT often express multiple pericyte markers, associate with and stabilize blood vessels to fuel tumor growth, thus phenotypically and functionally resembling pericytes. Therefore, some EMT events represent epithelial-to-pericyte transition (EPT). The serum response factor (SRF) plays key roles in both EMT and differentiation of pericytes, and may inherently confer the pericyte attributes on EMT cancer cells. By impacting their intratumoral location and cell surface receptor expression, EPT may enable cancer cells to receive and respond to angiocrine factors produced by the vascular niche, and develop therapy resistance.
Source: Cancers
Authors: Jianrong Lu, Anitha Shenoy
Institutions: University of Florida, California Health Sciences University
Language: English
Topic: Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,499
OpenAlex ID: W2728534401