Epithelial-mesenquimal transition in the progression of prostatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Worldwide, prostate adenocarcinoma is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, and metastases are its most serious complication. The participation in its development of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been described, a fundamental process during embryonic development, tissue remodeling and wound healing, which involves loss of adhesive properties and epithelial polarity, and acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype with increasing cellular motility and invasive capability. This change in cellular behavior is mediated by a complex molecular regulation that includes a high number of signalization pathways acting independently or interconnected, many of them converging in the control of E-cadherin expression, whose regulation is the central molecular event of this process. Different studies support a tight link between EMT and progression and metastases development of carcinomas, but it has been less extensively studied in prostate adenocarcinoma. The aim of this review was to describe the molecular and morphological bases of this biological process, and to analyze the participation of regulators in the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype by tumor cells, specifically in regards to prostate adenocarcinoma progression.

Keywords

• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition
• Cellular Adhesion
• Metastasis
• Prostate Cancer