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Abstract
The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays crucial roles in the formation
of the body plan and in the differentiation of multiple tissues and organs. EMT also
contributes to tissue repair, but it can adversely cause organ fibrosis and promote
carcinoma progression through a variety of mechanisms. EMT endows cells with migratory
and invasive properties, induces stem cell properties, prevents apoptosis and senescence,
and contributes to immunosuppression. Thus, the mesenchymal state is associated with
the capacity of cells to migrate to distant organs and maintain stemness, allowing
their subsequent differentiation into multiple cell types during development and the
initiation of metastasis.