Fangfang Nie, Xue Sun, Jizhuo Sun, Jingdong Zhang, Yuanhe Wang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a major contributor to cancer-associated death, with metastatic disease posing substantial therapeutic challenges. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) orchestrates the transformation of polarized epithelial cells into motile mesenchymal phenotypes, characterized by enhanced migratory capacity and invasive properties. EMT is central to CRC metastasis and progression, particularly concerning its contribution to invasion, internal infiltration, and colonization. Beyond metastasis, EMT facilitates cancer cells' adaptation to diverse microenvironments, gain of stem cell-like characteristics, metabolic reprogramming, and evasion of therapeutic interventions. EMT signatures are emerging as potential prognostic biomarkers, offering valuable insights for real-time disease surveillance and personalized therapeutic strategies. Targeting EMT presents a promising therapeutic avenue to improve drug sensitivity and counteract resistance in CRC. This review systematically examines the molecular mechanisms regulating EMT in CRC, including key transcription factors; post-translational and epigenetic modifications; non-coding RNAs; and pivotal signaling pathways. Additionally, we evaluate the clinical implications of EMT in CRC progression and metastasis and critically assess emerging therapeutic strategies targeting EMT. This study lays the groundwork for developing more efficient interventions to mitigate metastasis and enhance treatment outcomes and patient survival by elucidating the intricate molecular networks that govern EMT and its contributions to CRC pathology.
期刊介绍：
Cell Death Discovery is a multidisciplinary, international, online-only, open access journal, dedicated to publishing research at the intersection of medicine with biochemistry, pharmacology, immunology, cell biology and cell death, provided it is scientifically sound. The unrestricted access to research findings in Cell Death Discovery will foster a dynamic and highly productive dialogue between basic scientists and clinicians, as well as researchers in industry with a focus on cancer, neurobiology and inflammation research. As an official journal of the Cell Death Differentiation Association (ADMC), Cell Death Discovery will build upon the success of Cell Death & Differentiation and Cell Death & Disease in publishing important peer-reviewed original research, timely reviews and editorial commentary.
Cell Death Discovery is committed to increasing the reproducibility of research. To this end, in conjunction with its sister journals Cell Death & Differentiation and Cell Death & Disease, Cell Death Discovery provides a unique forum for scientists as well as clinicians and members of the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industry. It is committed to the rapid publication of high quality original papers that relate to these subjects, together with topical, usually solicited, reviews, editorial correspondence and occasional commentaries on controversial and scientifically informative issues.
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