Interplay between MMP-8 and TGF-β1 and its role in regulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

The transdifferentiation of epithelial cells into motile mesenchymal cells is a multistep biological process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The epithelial to mesenchymal transition is characterized by the de-differentiation of epithelial cells to a mesenchymal-like or mesenchymal phenotype with the loss of epithelial markers such as adherence junction component E-cadherin and cytokeratin of the intermediate filament system, accompanied by the increased expression of mesenchymal proteins such as N-cadherin and vimentin. EMT is essential in embryonic development and tissue repair, and also plays a critical role in the progression of cancer where cells lose cell to cell adhesions and acquire increased motility to spread into surrounding and distant tissues (1).