Systems Pharmacology of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is an extensive cellular reprogramming by which, invasive cancer cells of epithelial origin dare to break their commitments in adhering to their neighboring cells and emulate many features of mesenchymal cells. Through this switch, the EMT-undergoing cells would be enabled to confront with the microenvironmental barriers ahead of their transition from the primary tumor site into the blood and form subsequent secondary out-growth.

Owing to the complexity of factors leading to this process, conquering EMT at the clinical stages requires systems-level identification of druggable targets to be shot by drugs. In our lab, we employ Omics -driven insights to formulate a co-drugging regimen and hit the Achilles' heel of EMT in metastatic cancers. The project is partly funded by Pasteur Institute of Iran (IPI-867) and National Cancer Research Network.