Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the phenotypic transition of epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells characterized by loss of epithelial markers, loss of intercellular adherence and acquirement of mesenchymal cell markers and increased locomotive ability. EMT is widely considered to be a ge...

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Autores principales: Qin, Jun-Hui, Wang, Li, Li, Qin-Long, Liang, Yuan, Ke, Zhen-Yu, Wang, Rui-An
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Chongqing Medical University 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136597/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30258903
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2016.10.001
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author Qin, Jun-Hui
Wang, Li
Li, Qin-Long
Liang, Yuan
Ke, Zhen-Yu
Wang, Rui-An
author_facet Qin, Jun-Hui
Wang, Li
Li, Qin-Long
Liang, Yuan
Ke, Zhen-Yu
Wang, Rui-An
author_sort Qin, Jun-Hui
collection PubMed
description Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the phenotypic transition of epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells characterized by loss of epithelial markers, loss of intercellular adherence and acquirement of mesenchymal cell markers and increased locomotive ability. EMT is widely considered to be a gene regulated process necessary for cancer metastasis. Yet it is a highly controversial issue. We here propose that EMT is an environmentally induced cell behavior. It is the mimicry of their living environment. It is a survival strategy, a way of immune escape. We also propose here that the epithelial cell markers may functionally act as tumor antigens since in the mesenchymal surroundings there are no other structures bearing the same antigens as epithelial cells.
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spelling pubmed-61365972018-09-26 Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape? Qin, Jun-Hui Wang, Li Li, Qin-Long Liang, Yuan Ke, Zhen-Yu Wang, Rui-An Genes Dis Article Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the phenotypic transition of epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells characterized by loss of epithelial markers, loss of intercellular adherence and acquirement of mesenchymal cell markers and increased locomotive ability. EMT is widely considered to be a gene regulated process necessary for cancer metastasis. Yet it is a highly controversial issue. We here propose that EMT is an environmentally induced cell behavior. It is the mimicry of their living environment. It is a survival strategy, a way of immune escape. We also propose here that the epithelial cell markers may functionally act as tumor antigens since in the mesenchymal surroundings there are no other structures bearing the same antigens as epithelial cells. Chongqing Medical University 2016-11-05 /pmc/articles/PMC6136597/ /pubmed/30258903 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2016.10.001 Text en Copyright © 2016, Chongqing Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Qin, Jun-Hui
Wang, Li
Li, Qin-Long
Liang, Yuan
Ke, Zhen-Yu
Wang, Rui-An
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title_full Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title_fullStr Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title_full_unstemmed Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title_short Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
title_sort epithelial-mesenchymal transition as strategic microenvironment mimicry for cancer cell survival and immune escape?
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136597/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30258903
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2016.10.001
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