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Tumorigenesis: Twist1 links EMT to self-renewal

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs in pre-metastatic cancer cells and is also associated with the acquisition of stem-cell-like characteristics. A molecular link between EMT and stemness now emerges with the finding that Bmi1, a polycomb protein that promotes self-renewal of certain stem-cell populations, is a direct transcriptional target of the EMT inducer, Twist1.

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Figure 1: Molecular links are beginning to emerge between hypoxia, EMT and stemness.

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Correspondence to Amparo Cano.

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Martin, A., Cano, A. Tumorigenesis: Twist1 links EMT to self-renewal. Nat Cell Biol 12, 924–925 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1010-924

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