Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the liver

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological process occuring in the embryo. In adult organism, EMT could be involved in disease development. In the liver, the possibility that EMT of liver epithelial cells participate to liver fibrosis is increasingly discussed. Furthermore, the involvement of hepatocyte EMT to liver cancer biology has also been documented over the past few years. In this review, we will first describe how EMT participates to embryological development. We will then discuss the involvement of hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells in liver fibrosis. Finally, we will describe how EMT may impact the metastatic process and resistance to therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.