Epithelial plasticity and cancer stem cells: Major mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis and therapy resistance

Figure 1 Epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression in epithelial cancer cells: Cancer cells with E phenotype exhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition at primary tumor site, loose cell-cell contacts, gain migratory abilities, undergo morphological change and acquire M phenotype. Co-expression of epithelial and mesenchymal marker proteins in cancer cells with partial E/M hybrid phenotype is associated with increased cellular plasticity and stemness. Cancer stem cells with hybrid E/M phenotype undergoing partial EMT and not complete EMT gain self-renewability, migratory and invasive traits during cancer metastasis. EMT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; E: Epithelial; M: Mesenchymal.