Cancer Metastases: Impact of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Stem Cell and Microenvironment

Dear Colleagues,

From the standpoint of modern knowledge, the close relationship of Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs and stemness in neoplastic epithelial tissues at different stages of the metastatic cascade, including the primary tumor, circulating tumor cells (CTC), and distant sites of metastasis (disseminated and dormant tumor cells), is becoming increasingly evident. However, there is no clear understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the association between EMT programs and stemness. What signals are crucial for inducing or maintaining stemness? What are the conditions and mechanisms for the development of EMT without synchronous acquiring of stemness features? New data on the differences between EMT induced by various transcription factors and their relationship to stemness are also relevant. Currently, there are no universal and appropriate markers that allow us to determine the discrete phenotypes of EMT and stemness of tumor cells, which differ in the expression of transcription factors and protein markers. The relevant question is - what are the ratios of these states in primary tumor cells, CTCs, and disseminated and dormant cells? Another question is - how are they associated with hematogenous metastasis? Research in these fields will undoubtedly contribute to the search and development of new clinically significant markers and targets for the next generation of cancer therapy. The special issue will contain original research and review articles devoted to studying the phenomenon of plasticity in EMT programs and stemness and identification of significant markers for the differentiation of the EMT phenotypes and cell stemness in the primary tumor, circulation, and metastasis sites.

Topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

• Initiation and maintenance of EMT and stemness, including the primary tumor, circulating tumor cells, distant sites of metastasis (disseminated and dormant tumor cells)
• Transcription factors and signaling pathways of EMT and stemness at different stages of the metastatic cascade
• Expression and functional proteomic markers of various EMT and stem phenotypes in tumor cells
• Heterogeneity of the phenotypic manifestations of EMT and stem cells, including the primary tumor cells, circulating and disseminated and dormant tumor cells
• The role of the tumor microenvironment in the regulation of EMT and stemness of tumor cells
• New methodological approaches to the determination of EMT and stem properties of tumor cells, including primary tumor, circulating tumor cells, distant metastasis sites (disseminated and dormant tumor cells)
• Models for studying EMT programs and stemness in neoplastic epithelial tissues

Dr. Nadezhda V. Cherdyntseva
Dr. Evgeny L. Choynzonov
Dr. Liubov A. Tashireva
Guest Editors

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