The role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in invasion and metastasis of breast cancers

Abstract

Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in invasion and metastasis of breast cancers. OA Cancer 2013 Dec 30;1(2):16. Abstract Introduction Invasion and metastasis are the main causes for the death of patients with breast cancers. Epithelial–mesenchy-mal transition is implicated as a vital process in the invasion and metasta-sis of breast cancers, with endowing migratory and invasive cancer cells associated with metastatic capabil-ity. Increasing evidences demon-strated that epithelial–mesenchymal transition-initiating cells possessed mesenchymal features and stem-like traits that are resistant to chemother-apy. In this review, we summarise the physiological and pathological roles of epithelial–mesenchymal transi-tions, new insights in the molecular mechanisms of regulating epithe-lial–mesenchymal transition during breast cancer invasion and metasta-sis, and its implication in chemother-apy resistance. Conclusion Therefore, it is challenging to probe and uncover the mechanistic regu-lation of oncogenic epithelial–mes-enchymal transition, which will contribute to our understanding of metastatic dissemination and the role of targeting epithelial– mesenchymal transition with existing therapy as well as developing new drugs, in order to prevent metastasis and to diminish distant recurrence in pa-tients with breast cancers.