Epithelial phenotype is a dynamic stage of differentiation that can be modulated during several physiological or pathological events. The rapid conversion to a mesenchymal-like phenotype is called an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The Rise and Fall of Epithelial Phenotype is the first book to comprehensively introduce the concept of EMT. The first part of this volume describes main examples and models and explains their physiological relevance. These examples include hydra morphogenesis, gastrulation in mouse, drosophila and sea urchin, as well as neural crest cell migration and heart morphogenesis in vertebrates. Part two reviews in detail, specific EMT molecular pathways covering extracellular induction, transduction and transcription response and modulation of cell-cell adhesion structures. It emphasizes new specific pathways with potential medical applications. EMTs can also be linked to pathological events such as wound healing and cancer progression, as detailed in this section of the book.

Recent studies have highlighted that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is not only about cell migration and invasion, but it can also govern many other important elements such as immunosuppression, metabolic reprogramming, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), stem cell properties, therapy resistance, and tumor microenvironment interactions. With the on-going debate about the requirement of EMT for cancer metastasis, an emerging focus on intermediate states of EMT and its reverse process mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) offer new ideas for metastatic requirements and the dynamics of EMT/MET during the entire metastatic cascade. Therefore, we would like to initiate discussions on viewing EMT and its downstream signaling networks as a fulcrum of cellular plasticity, and a facilitator of the adaptive responses of cancer cells to distant organ microenvironments and various therapeutic assaults. We hereby invite scientists who have prominently contributed to this field, and whose valuable insights have led to the appreciation of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity as a more comprehensive mediator of the adaptive response of cancer cells, with huge implications in metastasis, drug resistance, tumor relapse, and patient survival.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "The Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Cancer" that was published in Cancers

Each volume in this richly illustrated series, published in association with the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology, provides an organ-based approach to the cytological and histological diagnosis of small tissue samples. Benign, pre-malignant and malignant entities are presented in a well-organized and standardized format, with high-resolution color photomicrographs, tables, and lists of key specific morphologic criteria. Example vignettes allow the reader to assimilate the diagnostic principles in a case-based format. This volume provides comprehensive coverage of both surgical pathology and cytopathology of breast lesions. With a focus on malignant tumors, the full spectrum of inflammatory disorders, benign lesions, and hyperplasias are also covered in detail. Advantages and disadvantages of aspiration and core biopsy are discussed, as well as ancillary testing such as hormonal and molecular markers. With over 200 printed photomicrographs and a DVD-ROM offering all images in a downloadable format, this is an important resource for all anatomic pathologists.

“Infogest” (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture that will last for 4 years from April 4, 2011. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (food scientists, gut physiologists, nutritionists...). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries. The three main scientific goals are: Identify the beneficial food components released in the gut during digestion; Support the effect of beneficial food components on human health; Promote harmonization of currently used digestion models Infogest meetings highlighted the need for a publication that would provide researchers with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of respective in vitro and ex vivo assays to evaluate the effects of foods and food bioactives on health. Such assays are particularly important in situations where a large number of foods/bioactives need to be screened rapidly and in a cost effective manner in order to ultimately identify lead foods/bioactives that can be the subject of in vivo assays. The book is an asset to researchers wishing to study the health benefits of their foods and food bioactives of interest and highlights which in vitro/ex vivo assays are of greatest relevance to their goals, what sort of outputs/data can be generated and, as noted above, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various assays. It is also an important resource for undergraduate students in the ‘food and health’ arena.