Inflammation and EMT: an alliance towards organ fibrosis and cancer progression

12 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 cuadro.Recent advances in our understanding of the molecular pathways that govern the association of inflammation with organ fibrosis and cancer point to the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) as the common link in the progression of these devastating diseases. The EMT is a crucial process in the development of different tissues in the embryo and its reactivation in the adult may be regarded as a physiological attempt to control inflammatory responses and to ‘heal’ damaged tissue. However, in pathological contexts such as in tumours or during the development of organ fibrosis, this healing response adopts a sinister nature, steering these diseases towards metastasis and organ failure. Importantly, the chronic inflammatory microenvironment common to fibrotic and cancer cells emerges as a decisive factor in the induction of the pathological EMT.Work in our laboratories is supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (SAF2007-63893), from Instituto Carlos III (Red Cooperativa de Investigación Renal, RedinRen Retic 06/0016) and Junta de Castilla y León (SA029/A05 and Excellence Group GR-100), to J. M. L.-N. and from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (BFU2008- 01042; CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 CSD2007-00017 and CSD2007-00023) and the Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo 2008/049) to M. A. N.Peer reviewe