Oncology Abstracts

The plastic cancer cell model establishes that genetically identical cancer cells undergo bi-directional conversions between the highly aggressive tumour-initiating (TIC) state and the non-TIC cell state. We have identified subpopulations of breast cancer cells that readily switch from the non-TIC to TIC state, through activation of the EMT transcription factor ZEB-1. We have shown that non-TICs of basal BrCa are uniquely endowed with this plastic phenotype due to the cell&#14...

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are normal biological processes, however they are also thought to play a critical role in the progression and metastasis of cancers, including breast cancer. Cancer cells reactivate the gene expression programs of EMT and MET through a wide range of mechanisms, and better understanding of these regulatory processes will lead to the identification of therapeutically actionable target...