Transition in cell type parallels treatment response, disease progression in breast cancer
Friday, February 1, 2013 - 06:04
in Health & Medicine
A process that normally occurs in developing embryos -- the changing of one basic cell type into another -- has also been suspected of playing a role in cancer metastasis. Now a study has associated this process, called epithelial-mesenchymal transition or EMT, with disease progression and treatment response in breast cancer patients. The report also identifies underlying mechanisms that someday may become therapeutic targets.