Human Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Antibody Sampler Kit, BioAssay?
Description
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential process during development whereby epithelial cells aquire mesenchymal, fibroblast-like properties and display reduced intracellular adhesion and increased motility. This is a critical feature of normal embryonic development, which is also utilized by malignant epithelial tumors to spread beyond their origin. This tightly regulated process is associated with a number of cellular and molecular events. EMT depends on a reduction in expression of cell adhesion molecules. Cadherins mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion and play critical roles in normal tissue development. E-cadherin is considered an active suppressor of invasion and growth of many epithelial cancers. Recent studies indicate that cancer cells have up-regulated N-cadherin in addition to loss of E-cadherin. This change in cadherin expression is called the cadherin switch and downregulation of E-cadherin is one of the hallmarks of EMT. Tight junctions, or zonula