In primary airway epithelial cells, the unjamming transition is distinct from the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Abstract

During repair, development, or cancer metastasis, epithelial cells can become migratory through partial or full epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, the authors report that differentiated epithelial collectives may undergo cooperative and collective migration without evidence of partial EMT through an unjamming transition (UJT).