Targeted therapies in control of EMT in carcinoma and fibrosis

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a developmental mechanism ensuring tissue remodeling during morphogenesis. EMT is now thought to contribute to the dissemination of carcinomas and to organ fibrosis. Recent evidence suggests that newly discovered anti-proliferative or anti-angiogenic cancer drugs may have an important additional role in controlling the spread of carcinoma via EMT inhibition. In this review, we focus on various EMT signaling pathways that can be interfered from newly designed targeted therapeutics.

Section editors:Thomas Ried – Avalon Pharm., Inc., Germantown, MD, USAReinhard Ebner – Centre for Cancer Research, NCI/NIH