Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2020 Apr 16. doi: 10.1038/s41580-020-0237-9. [Epub ahead of print]

Guidelines and definitions for research on epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Yang J¹, Antin P², Berx G³, Blanpain C⁴, Brabletz T⁵, Bronner M⁶, Campbell K⁷, Cano A⁸, Casanova J⁹, Christofori G¹⁰, Dedhar S¹¹, Derynck R¹², Ford HL¹³, Fuxe J¹⁴, García de Herreros A¹⁵, Goodall GJ¹⁶, Hadjantonakis AK¹⁷, Huang RJY¹⁸, Kalcheim C¹⁹, Kalluri R²⁰, Kang Y²¹, Khew-Goodall Y²², Levine H²³, Liu J²⁴, Longmore GD²⁵, Mani SA²⁶, Massagué J²⁷, Mayor R²⁸, McClay D²⁹, Mostov KE³⁰, Newgreen DF³¹, Nieto MA³², Puisieux A^33,34, Runyan R², Savagner P³⁵, Stanger B³⁶, Stemmler MP⁵, Takahashi Y³⁷, Takeichi M³⁸, Theveneau E³⁹, Thiery JP⁴⁰, Thompson EW⁴¹, Weinberg RA⁴², Williams ED⁴³, Xing J⁴⁴, Zhou BP⁴⁵, Sheng G⁴⁶; EMT International Association (TEMTIA).

Abstract

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) encompasses dynamic changes in cellular organization from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotypes, which leads to functional changes in cell migration and invasion. EMT occurs in a diverse range of physiological and pathological conditions and is driven by a conserved set of inducing signals, transcriptional regulators and downstream effectors. With over 5,700 publications indexed by Web of Science in 2019 alone, research on EMT is expanding rapidly. This growing interest warrants the need for a consensus among researchers when referring to and undertaking research on EMT. This Consensus Statement, mediated by 'the EMT International Association' (TEMTIA), is the outcome of a 2-year-long discussion among EMT researchers and aims to both clarify the nomenclature and provide definitions and guidelines for EMT research in future publications. We trust that these guidelines will help to reduce misunderstanding and misinterpretation of research data generated in various experimental models and to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration to identify and address key open questions in this research field. While recognizing the importance of maintaining diversity in experimental approaches and conceptual frameworks, we emphasize that lasting contributions of EMT research to increasing our understanding of developmental processes and combatting cancer and other diseases depend on the adoption of a unified terminology to describe EMT.