Cytokine-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition : mechanisms and implications for fibrotic diseases of respiratory and intestinal epithelia

Abstract

Fibrosis is characterised by the accumulation of myofibroblasts, the key effector cell implicated in the fibrogenic reaction. The exact origin of these myofibroblasts remains poorly understood. However, growing evidence suggests that a significant portion of synthetically active myofibroblasts arise from the conversion of epithelial cells through the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). During EMT, the cell-cell adhesion structures of epithelial cells are down-regulated, their cytoskeleton is reorganised and they become more motile, reflecting transition to a mesenchymal phenotype. This PhD project sought to greater characterise EMT and provide additional insights into potential mechanisms underlying this process.