Biophysical and biochemical attributes of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes

Subbalakshmi, AR and Ashraf, B and Jolly, MK (2022) Biophysical and biochemical attributes of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. In: Physical Biology, 19 (2).

PDF phy_bio_19-2_2022.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological phenomenon associated with explicit phenotypic and molecular changes in cellular traits. Unlike the earlier-held popular belief of it being a binary process, EMT is now thought of as a landscape including diverse hybrid E/M phenotypes manifested by varying degrees of the transition. These hybrid cells can co-express both epithelial and mesenchymal markers and/or functional traits, and can possess the property of collective cell migration, enhanced tumor-initiating ability, and immune/targeted therapy-evasive features, all of which are often associated with worse patient outcomes. These characteristics of the hybrid E/M cells have led to a surge in studies that map their biophysical and biochemical hallmarks that can be helpful in exploiting their therapeutic vulnerabilities. This review discusses recent advances made in investigating hybrid E/M phenotype(s) from diverse biophysical and biochemical aspects by integrating live cell-imaging, cellular morphology quantification and mathematical modeling, and highlights a set of questions that remain unanswered about the dynamics of hybrid E/M states.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Physical Biology
Publisher:	IOP Publishing Ltd
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to the IOP Publishing Ltd.
Keywords:	biophysics; cell motion; epithelial mesenchymal transition; human; neoplasm; phenotype; physiology, Biophysics; Cell Movement; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Humans; Neoplasms; Phenotype
Department/Centre:	Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences > Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering
Date Deposited:	16 Jun 2022 11:38
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2022 11:38
URI:	https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/73800

Actions (login required)

View Item