Figure 1.

The relationship between changes induced by EMT tumor cells in cells of the immune system and the induction of tumor cell EMT by cells of the immune system. EMT tumor cells induce changes in cells of the immune system that promote their exclusion or deviation toward protumorigenic phenotypes. The mediators of these changes are cytokines, chemokines, or exosomes. At least part of these mediators induce both changes, possibly through the activation of a similar set of EMT transcription factors. Moreover, some of the changes that affect tumor cells and cells of the immune system are similar, such as enhanced migration. The dashed lines indicate an as yet unexplored aspect of this relationship, i.e., the possibility that EMT tumor cells and deviated immune cells regulate each other. Abbreviations: CCL, C-C motif chemokine ligand; DC, dendritic cell; DCreg, regulatory DC; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; IL, interleukin; MDSC, myeloid-derived suppressor cell; TGF, transforming growth factor; TF, transcription factor; Treg, regulatory T cell.