Figure 1.

EMT Progression. Epithelial (E) cells are well anchored to the basement membrane, connected to each other in sheets via E-cadherin junctions and express various markers, which may vary depending on the individual cancer cell. E cells can then transition into mesenchymal cells by first going through a series of intermediates (E/M) that are usually metastable. Mesenchymal (M) cells are fully motile and can exhibit various genes and properties including the ability to adapt to stresses including chemotherapy.