Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Carcinoma

Cancers

Harald J. Maier¹  Thomas Wirth¹ 

[1] Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany; E-Mail:

关键词: pancreatic adenocarcinoma;    epithelial-mesenchymal transition;    tumor progression;    cancer stem cells;    chemoresistance;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers2042058

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Pancreatic carcinoma is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death and is characterized by early invasion and metastasis. The developmental program of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is of potential importance for this rapid tumor progression. During EMT, tumor cells lose their epithelial characteristics and gain properties of mesenchymal cells, such as enhanced motility and invasive features. This review will discuss recent findings pertinent to EMT in pancreatic carcinoma. Evidence for and molecular characteristics of EMT in pancreatic carcinoma will be outlined, as well as the connection of EMT to related topics, e.g., cancer stem cells and drug resistance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.