Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a step-wise process observed in normal and tumor cells leading to a switch from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype. In tumors, EMT provides cancer cells with a metastatic phenotype characterized by E-cadherin down-regulation, cytoskeleton reorganization, motile and invasive potential. E-cadherin down-regulation is known as a key event during EMT. However, E-cadherin expression can be influenced by the different experimental settings and environmental stimuli so that the paradigm of EMT based on the loss of E-cadherin determining tumor cell behavior and fate often becomes an open question. In this review, we aimed at focusing on some critical points in order to improve the knowledge of the dynamic role of epithelial cells plasticity in EMT and, specifically, address the role of E-cadherin as a marker for the EMT axis.
Highlights
The Italian anatomist Angelo Ruffini (1864–1929) demonstrated the close relationship between function and morphology, showing that biological structures exhibit a characteristic morphology suitable to play a biological role
We analyze how E-cadherin expression can be influenced by the different experimental settings and environment to better understand how 3D arrangement or extracellular matrix (ECM) components occurring in the tumor microenvironment could affect its expression during Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
Based on previously published observations describing the ability of bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDMs) to form clusters whose integrity is maintained by E-cadherin [113,114,115], they found that the disruption E-cadherin DC–DC interaction determines DC activation characterized by the up-modulation of costimulatory molecules and chemokines receptors and the MHC-II re-distribution on the cell membrane
Summary
The Italian anatomist Angelo Ruffini (1864–1929) demonstrated the close relationship between function and morphology, showing that biological structures exhibit a characteristic morphology suitable to play a biological role. PDAC represents the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the Western world, with an estimated incidence of more than 40,000 cases per year in the United States and 448,000 cases globally It is one of the most devastating, aggressive and lethal tumors, characterized by a 5-year survival for all stages of the disease
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