Molecular mechanisms and new therapeutic targets in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis

Although the term “epithelial to mesenchymal transformation” was used for the first time by Betty Hay in 1968, the earliest description of the EMT process probably dates back to drawings made by the Nobel Prize Santiago Ramòn y Cajal around 1890 (López-Novoa and Nieto, 2009). After decades of studies, EMT is now considered a key physiopathological mechanism active in embryogenesis, in fibrotic diseases and in cancer. The scope of this research topic was to provide an updated overview of EMT processes and new therapeutic strategies aimed to target EMT processes. In this Topic, Fintha et al. provided a timely survey on the “fibroblast conversion” hypothesis (with a focus on renal fibrosis), where epithelial cell transdifferentiation plays a crucial role in the generation of myofibroblasts, the main cells implicated in organ fibrosis. The ‘fibroblast conversion' hypothesis has been intensely debated over years, with some contradicting evidence in different experimental systems used.