Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reciprocal mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are key processes involved in both tumor metastasis and development. During EMT, epithelial cells lose their plasma membrane polarities, break their intercellular tight junctions, and degrade basement membrane extracellular matrix components to become migratory mesenchymal cells. MET is a common process during organogenesis, when migrating stem cells will begin to express genes important for tight junctions, as well as other genes important for stationary epithelial cells. Cell surface receptor, extracellular matrix, and cytoskeletal genes mediating cell adhesion, migration, and morphogenesis are all central to EMT. Tumor cells migrate to distal tissues via uncontrolled EMT, a common result during the oncogenic process. Analysis of EMT and MET mechanisms may yield new insights into their regulation during oncogenesis, providing novel drug targets.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for epithelial to mesenchymal transition research that enable analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for epithelial to mesenchymal transition studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.