Collective cell migration and metastases induced by an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in Drosophila intestinal tumors

Abstract

Modelling and visualizing tumor metastasis in Drosophila has been a challenge. Here, the authors show that constitutive expression of Sna in primary adult Drosophila intestinal tumors drives EMT and dissemination of tumor cells, induces collective cell migration and formation of polyclonal metastases.