Targeting Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Radioresistance: Crosslinked Mechanisms and Strategies

Lili Qiao; Yanfei Chen; Ning Liang; Jian Xie; Guodong Deng; Fangjie Chen; Xiaojuan Wang; Fengjun Liu; Yupeng Li; Jiandong Zhang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.775238

Targeting Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Radioresistance: Crosslinked Mechanisms and Strategies

Front Oncol. 2022 Feb 16:12:775238. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.775238. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lili Qiao^{1

2}, Yanfei Chen^{1

2}, Ning Liang^{1

2}, Jian Xie^{1

2}, Guodong Deng^{1

2}, Fangjie Chen^{1

2}, Xiaojuan Wang^{1

2}, Fengjun Liu^{1

2}, Yupeng Li^{2

3}, Jiandong Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Province Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China.
² Department of Oncology, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
³ Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Radiotherapy exerts a crucial role in curing cancer, however, its treatment efficiency is mostly limited due to the presence of radioresistance. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process that endows the cancer cells with invasive and metastatic properties, as well as radioresistance. Many potential mechanisms of EMT-related radioresistance being reported have broaden our cognition, and hint us the importance of an overall understanding of the relationship between EMT and radioresistance. This review focuses on the recent progresses involved in EMT-related mechanisms in regulating radioresistance, irradiation-mediated EMT program, and the intervention strategies to increase tumor radiosensitivity, in order to improve radiotherapy efficiency and clinical outcomes of cancer patients.

Keywords: EMT; cancer stem cell; mechanisms; radioresistance; strategies; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

Review