IL-10对稳定转染HBx基因的HL-7702细胞增殖的影响

目的探讨白细胞介素-10(IL-10)在稳定转染乙型肝炎病毒X(HBx)基因的HL-7702肝细胞增殖的作用及机制。方法 CCK-8法测定HBx基因对HL-7702细胞增殖的作用及IL-10对HL-7702/HBx细胞增殖的作用;流式细胞术测定IL-10对HL-7702/HBx细胞凋亡的影响;RT-PCR法测定HBx基因对HL-7702细胞表达CDKN1B蛋白质mRNA的作用及IL-10对HL-7702/HBx表达CDKN1B mRNA的作用。结果 CCK-8法显示,HL-7702/HBx细胞比HL-7702细胞和HL-7702/MOCK细胞增殖速度明显加快(P<0.05);80ng/mL的IL-10作用24h可抑制HL-7702/HBx细胞增殖(P<0.05);流式细胞术显示,80ng/mL的IL-10作用24h对HL-7702细胞、HL-7702/HBx细胞及HL7702/MOCK细胞凋亡均无影响;RT-PCR法显示,HL-7702/HBx细胞CDKN1BmRNA表达量较HL-7702细胞和HL-7702/MOCK细胞降低(P<0.05),80ng/mL的IL-10作用24h后,HL-7702/HBx细胞较HL-7702/HBx空白组CDKN1B mRNA表达量上调(P<0.05)。结论 HBx基因可促进HL-7702细胞增殖,IL-10可抑制HL-7702/HBx细胞增殖而对其凋亡无影响。HBx基因可能通过下调HL-7702/HBx细胞CDKN1BmRNA的表达量而促进细胞增殖,IL-10可能通过上调HL-7702/HBx细胞CDKN1B mRNA的表达量而抑制细胞增殖。

AAV-mediated expression of p65shRNA and bone morphogenetic protein 4 synergistically enhances chondrocyte regeneration

BACKGROUND:Adeno-associated virus(AAV)gene therapy has been proven to be reliable and safe for the treatment of osteoarthritis in recent years.However,given the complexity of osteoarthritis pathogenesis,single gene manipulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis may not produce satisfactory results.Previous studies have shown that nuclear factorκB could promote the inflammatory pathway in osteoarthritic chondrocytes,and bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4)could promote cartilage regeneration.OBJECTIVE:To test whether combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 will yield the synergistic effect on chondrocytes regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.METHODS:Viral particles containing AAV-p65-shRNA and AAV-BMP4 were prepared.Their efficacy in inhibiting inflammation in chondrocytes and promoting chondrogenesis was assessed in vitro and in vivo by transfecting AAV-p65-shRNA or AAV-BMP4 into cells.The experiments were divided into five groups:PBS group;osteoarthritis group;AAV-BMP4 group;AAV-p65shRNA group;and BMP4-p65shRNA 1:1 group.Samples were collected at 4,12,and 24 weeks postoperatively.Tissue staining,including safranin O and Alcian blue,was applied after collecting articular tissue.Then,the optimal ratio between the two types of transfected viral particles was further investigated to improve the chondrogenic potential of mixed cells in vivo.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 together showed a synergistic effect on cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.Mixed cells transfected with AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 at a 1:1 ratio produced the most extracellular matrix synthesis(P<0.05).In vivo results also revealed that the combination of the two viruses had the highest regenerative potential for osteoarthritic cartilage(P<0.05).In the present study,we also discovered that the combined therapy had the maximum effect when the two viruses were administered in equal proportions.Decreasing either p65shRNA or BMP4 transfected cells resulted in less collagen II synthesis.This implies that inhibiting inflammation by p65shRNA and promoting regeneration by BMP4 are equally important for osteoarthritis treatment.These findings provide a new strategy for the treatment of early osteoarthritis by simultaneously inhibiting cartilage inflammation and promoting cartilage repair.

Effects of the Ice Bath Time after Heat Shock and the Incubation Time on the Efficiency of Chemical Transformation Method

[Objective] The aim of the research was to study the effect of the ice bath time after heat shock and the incubation time on the transformation efficacy,and to establish a simple and quick transformation method.[Method]Competent cells were prepared with two buffer solutions;with the ice bath time after heat shock and the recovery time as the variables,the relationship between these two factors and transformation efficacy was studied.[Result]The transformation efficacy was the best when the ice bath time was 2 min and the recovery time was 30 or 40 min;when the ice bath time and the recovery time was 0 min,a certain amount of transformants still could be obtained.[Conclusion]The ice bath time after heat shock and the recovery time had certain impact on transformation efficacy,but they were not the decisive factors.Therefore,in the general transformation experiment,these two steps could be omitted.

Biotransformation of Gastrodin by Mucor spinosus

Microbial transformation of gastrodin by Mucor spinosus strain 3.3450, resulted in a product with a transformation rate close to 100 per cent. This product was identified as p-hydroxy benzyl alcohol on the basis of its 1H, 13C NMR and EI-MS spectral data. It could be inferred that the enzyme responsible for the biotransforma-tion reaction was a kind of extracellular and constitutive enzyme since the transformation reaction of the substrate could be carried out in cell free extracts of the fermentation broth of the Mucor spinosus.

Biotransformation of Gastrodin by Cell Suspension Cultures of Catharanthus roseus

应用长春花 (Catharanthusroseus (L .)G .Don)悬浮细胞培养体系对天麻素进行了生物转化反应研究。经过8d培养形成一个转化产物 ,应用光谱方法鉴定转化产物的结构为对羟基苯甲醇 ,为天麻素水解后形成的甙元。

Cellular immune function and liver damage in post hepatitic cirrhosis

AIM To study the cellular immune function in patients with post hepatitic cirrhosis (PHC) and its relation with different liver damages.

Immunopotentiating Effects of Cucurbitacin B in Mice

Cucurbitacin B(CUB)is a major active principle contained in the calyx melo of Cucumis melo L.The immunopotentiating effects of CuB(im,qd×5)were studied.At lower doses, CuB increased the number of peripheral blood T lymphocytes(0.1 mg/kg),the rate of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation(0.2 mg/kg),the number of plaque forming cells(PFC)of the spleen(0.2 mg/kg)and the level of serum hemolysin(0.4 mg/kg).The phagocytosis of macrophages and the clearance rate of charcoal particles were enhanced only by a large dose(0.8 mg/kg).The results indicate that CuB can potentiate both cellular and humoral immune function.

Optimization of Parameters of Exogenous Gene Mediated by Liposome to Transfect Yak Mammary Epithelial Cells in Vitro

[Objective] The aim of this study was to optimize conditions of exogenous gene mediated by liposome to transfect yak mammary epithelial cells in Vitro.[Method] Yak mammary epithelial cells were isolated and cultivated in Vitro by the methods of collagenase digestion and tissue adhesion.The expression of cytokeratin in yak mammary epithelial cell was detected by immunocytochemistry technique.With green fluorescence protein as the report gene,yak mammary epithelial cells were transfected with exogenous gene m...

Effects of Echinacea Compound on the Immune Function of Weaned Piglets

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate effects of Echinacea compound on the immune function of weaned piglets. [Method] Eighty Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire crossbred piglets were randomly divided into four groups： control group （drug-free group）, 1.5% close group, 1.0% dose group and 0.5% dose group. Blood samples of piglets were collected at 20, 35, 50, 60, 70 and 80 days old, respective- ly, to determine neutrophil leukocyte percentage in peripheral blood, lymphocyte trapsformation rate and the levels of antibodies against classical swine fever, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disorder. [Result] Applying a certain dose of Echinacea compound could significantly increase neutrophil leukocyte per- centage in peripheral blood and lymphocyte transformation rate （P〈0.05）, and ex- tremely significantly improve the levels of antibodies against classical swine fever, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disorder （P〈0.01）. [Conclusion] Echi- nacea compound has played a certain role in promoting nonspecific and specific im- mune function of piglets.

Effect of porous titanium coated with IGF-1 and TGF-β_1 loaded gelatin microsphere on function of MG63 cells

Porous titanium with porosity of 60% was prepared by metal injection molding（MIM）,and coated with gelatin sustained-release microspheres which were made by improved emulsified cold condensation method.The effects of porous titanium coated with insulin-like growth factor-1（IGF-1） and transforming growth factor-β1（TGF-β1） gelatin microspheres on the function of MG63 cells were evaluated in vitro.The results show that porous titanium coated with gelatin sustained-release microspheres has no cytotoxicity.The IGF-1 and TGF-β1 loading concentrations are positively correlative with the proliferation and differentiation of MG63 after co-culturing with the concentrations of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 gelatin microspheres in the range of 0.1-10 ng/mg and 0.25-2.5 ng/mg,respectively.The MG63 cells exhibit the best proliferation and differentiation with the IGF-1 and TGF-β1 loading concentrations of 10 ng/mg and 2.5 ng/mg,respectively.The joint application of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 group,which promote adhesion,proliferation and differentiation of MG63 cells,is superior to a single application group.

Study on Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated Transformation of Brassica campestris L. with Fusion Gene Ycoil-bFGF

[ Objective] The study is to generate pharmaceutical protein via plant transgenic technique. [Methed] Using the cotyledons with petiole as transformation receptor, the fusion gene of rapeseed oil-body gene and bFGF was introduced into the rapeseed （ Brassica campestris L. ） by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation; meanwhile regeneration conditions of rapeseed were also optimized, and the regenerated resistant plantlets were detected by PCR and Southern blot. [ Result] This fusion gene had been integrated into rapeseed genome successfully, and the optimized conditions of transformation and regeneration were as follows： explants pre-culture for 2 d, co-culture for 3 d, bacteria solution OD600 for 0.3 and infection time for 5 min. [ Conclusion] The results laid a solid foundation for extraction, isolation and purification of protein in transgenic plant seeds.

Effects of interferon-alpha on expression of hepatic stellate cell and transforming growth factor-pi and a-smooth muscle actin in rats with hepatic fibrosis

AIM:To investigate the effect of interferon-a (IFN-α) on preventing or reversing hepatic fibrosis in rat experimental model induced by CCI4. METHODS: One hundred and ten Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: group A (normal controls, n = 18), group B (fibrotic model controls, n = 22), group C (IFN-α prevention, n = 22) initially treated with intramuscular injection of IFN-a in saline daily at the doses of 1× 105 U for 6 wk, group D (IFN-a treatment, n = 24) treated with intra-muscular injection of IFN-a in saline daily at the doses of 1×105 U for 6 wk after the first 6 wk, group E (0.9% sodium chloride treatment control, n = 24) treated with intra-muscular injection of 0.01 mL/kg daily for 6 wk after the first 6 wk. At the end of the experiment, all rats of each group were killed. Samples of the liver obtained by biopsy were subjected to histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies for the expressions of transforming growth factor-pi (TGF- μ41) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). RESULTS: The expressions of TGF-pl, the number of activated hepatic stellate cells and a-SMA in hepatic tissue of group C were significantly less than those of group B (P<0.01). The degree of fibrosis score in group B was also significantly less than that of group C under light microscope (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: IFN-a can inhibit the production of TGF-pl, decrease HSC activation and stimulate its apoptosis.

Tetrandrine inhibits activation of rat hepatic stellate cells in vitro via transforming growth factor-β signaling

AIM: To investigate the effect of various concentrations of tetrandrine on activation of quiescent rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in vitro.METHODS: HSCs were isolated from rats by in situperfusion of liver and 18% Nycodenz gradient centrifugation, and primarily cultured on uncoated plastic plates for 24 hwith DMEM containing 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS/DMEM) before the culture medium was substituted with 2% FBS/DMEM for another 24 h. Then, the HSCs were cultured in 2% FBS/DMEM with tetrandrine (0.25, 0.5, 1,2 mg/L, respectively). Cell morphological features were observed under an inverted microscope, smooth muscleα-actin (α-SMA) was detected by immunocytochemistry and image analysis system, laminin (LN) and type Ⅲprocollagen (PCⅢ) in supernatants were determined byradioimmunoassay. TGF-β1 mRNA, Smad 7 mRNA and Smad 7 protein were analyzed with RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.RESULTS: Tetrandrine at the concentrations of 0.25-2 mg/L prevented morphological transformation of HSC from the quiescent state to the activated one, while α-SMA, LN and PCⅢ expressions were inhibited. As estimated by gray values, the expression of α-SMA in tetrandrine groups (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 mg/L) was reduced from 21.3% to 42.2%(control: 0.67, tetrandrine groups: 0.82, 0.85, 0.96, or 0.96, respectively, which were statistically different from the control, P＜0.01), and the difference was more significant in tetrandrine at 1 and 2 mg/L. The content of LN in supernatants was significantly decreased in tetrandrine groups to 58.5%, 69.1%, 65.8% or 60.0% that of the control respectively, and that of PCⅢ to 84.6%, 81.5%,75.7% or 80.7% respectively (P＜0.05 vs control), with no significant difference among tetrandrine groups. RTPCR showed that TGF-β1 mRNA expression was reduced by tetrandrine treatments from 56.56% to 87.90% in comparison with the control, while Smad 7 mRNA was increased 1.4-4.8 times. The TGF-β1 mRNA and Smad 7 mRNA expression was in a significant negative correlation (r= -0.755, P＜0.01), and both were significantly correlated with α-SMA protein expression (r = -0.938, P＜0.01;r = 0.938, P＜0.01, respectively). The up-regulation of Smad 7 protein by tetrandrine (1 mg/L)was confirmed by Western blotting as well.CONCLUSION: Tetrandrine has a direct inhibiting effect on the activation of rat HSCs in culture. It up-regulates the expression of Smad 7 which in turn blocks TGF-β1 expression and signaling.

More stories on Th17 cells

For more than two decades, immunologists have been using the so-called Th1/Th2 paradigm to explain most of the phenomena related to adaptive immunity. The Thl/Th2 paradigm implied the existence of two different, mutu- ally regulated, CD4＋ T helper subsets： Thl cells, driving cell-mediated immune responses involved in tissue damage and fighting infection against intracellular parasites; and Th2 cells that mediate IgE production and are particu- larly involved in eosinophilic inflammation, allergy and clearance of helminthic infections. A third member of the T helper set, IL-17-producing CD4＋ T cells, now called Th17 cells, was recently described as a distinct lineage that does not share developmental pathways with either Thl or Th2 cells. The Th17 subset has been linked to autoimmune disorders, being able to produce IL-17, IL-17F and IL-21 among other inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, it has been reported that there is not only a cross-regulation among Thl, Th2 and Th17 effector cells but there is also a di- chotomy in the generation of Th17 and T regulatory cells. Therefore, Treg and Th17 effector cells arise in a mutually exclusive fashion, depending on whether they are activated in the presence of TGF-β or TGF-β plus inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6. This review will address the discovery of the Th17 cells, and recent progress on their development and regulation.

Effect of transforming growth factor beta and bone morphogenetic proteins on rat hepatic stellate cell proliferation and transdifferentiation

AIM: To explore different roles of TGF-β (transforming growth factor beta) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)in hepatic stellate cell proliferation and trans-differentiation.METHODS: Hepatic stellate cells were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats. Sub-cultured hepatic stellate cells were employed for cell proliferation assay with WST-1 reagent and Western blot analysis with antibody against smooth muscle alpha actin (SMA).RESULTS: The results indicated that TGF-β1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation at concentration as low as 0.1 ng/ml, but both BMP-2 and BMP-4 did not affect cell proliferation at concentration as high as 10 ng/ml. The effect on hepatic stellate cell trans-differentiation was similar between TGFβ1 and BMPs. However, BMPs was more potent at transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells than TGF-β1. In addition, we observed that TGF-β1 transient reduced the abundance of SMA in hepatic stellate cells.CONCLUSION: TGF-β may be more important in regulation of hepatic stellate cell proliferation while BMPs may be the major cytokines regulating hepatic stellate cell transdifferentiation.

Connective tissue growth factor is overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes cell invasion and growth

AIM:To determine the expression characteristics of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF/CCN2) in human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in histology and to elucidate the roles of CCN2 on hepatoma cell cycle progression and metastasis in vitro.METHODS:Liver samples from 36 patients(who underwent hepatic resection for the first HCC between 2006 and 2011) and 6 normal individuals were examined for transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) or CCN2 mRNA by in situ hybridization.Computer image analysis was performed to measure integrated optimal density of CCN2 mRNA-positive cells in carcinoma foci and the surrounding stroma.Fibroblast-specific protein-1(FSP-1) and E-cadherin were examined to evaluate the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition,α-smooth muscle actin and FSP-1 were detected to identify hepatic stellate cells,and CD34 was measured to evaluate the extent of vascularization in liver tissues by immunohistochemical staining.CCN2 was assessed for its stimulation of HepG2 cell migration and invasion using commercial kits while flow cytometry was used to determine CCN2 effects on HepG2 cell-cycle.RESULTS:In situ hybridization analysis showed that TGF-β1 mRNA was mainly detected in connective tissues and vasculature around carcinoma foci.In comparison to normal controls,CCN2 mRNA was enhanced 1.9-fold in carcinoma foci(12.36 ± 6.08 vs 6.42 ± 2.35) or 9.4-fold in the surrounding stroma(60.27 ± 28.71 vs 6.42 ± 2.35),with concomitant expression of CCN2 and TGF-β1 mRNA in those areas.Epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype related with CCN2 was detected in 12/36(33.3%) of HCC liver samples at the edges between carcinoma foci and vasculature.Incubation of HepG2 cells with CCN2(100 ng/mL) resulted in more of the cells transitioning into S phase(23.85 ± 2.35 vs 10.94 ± 0.23),and induced a significant migratory(4.0-fold) and invasive(5.7-fold) effect.TGF-β1-induced cell invasion was abrogated by a neutralizing CCN2 antibody showing that CCN2 is a downstream mediator of TGF-β1-induced hepatoma cell invasion.CONCLUSION:These data support a role for CCN2 in the growth and metastasis of HCC and highlight CCN2 as a potential novel therapeutic target.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 induces activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells in vitro

AIM:To investigate the role of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 (IGFBP-7) in the activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in vitro.METHODS:Rat HSC-T6 cells were cultured in separate dishes and treated with various concentration of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1,IGFBP-7 or antiIGFBP-7 antibody for 24 h.The supernatant or a cytoplasm suspension was obtained from cultured HSC,followed by transfer of cells to form cell-coated dishes.Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting were used to analyze the expression of IGFBP-7 induced by TGF-β1 and the level of fibronectin,collagen and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA).The pro-apoptotic effect of antiIGFBP-7 antibody was determined by flow cytometry.RESULTS:Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting revealed that the expression of IGFBP-7 in TGF-β1 treated HSC was significantly up-regulated compared to that in the control group.In addition,fibronectin,collagen and α-SMA also showed enhanced expression in accordance with the transdifferentiation process in a dose-dependent manner to some extent.Moreover,flow cytometry suggested that anti-IGFBP-7 antibody induced apoptosis of activated HSC,which is responsible for the development of liver fibrosis,and may represent a novel pathway and target for therapeutic intervention.CONCLUSION:IGFBP-7 showed increased expression in activated HSC and played an important role in the activation and transdifferentiation process of HSC.AntiIGFBP-7 antibody may ameliorate liver fibrogenesis.

Feeder-free maintenance of hESCs in mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned media： distinct requirements for TGF-β and IGF-Ⅱ

A paracrine regulation was recently proposed in human embryonic stem cells （hESCs） grown in mouse embryonic fibroblast （MEF）-conditioned media （MEF-CM）, where hESCs spontaneously differentiate into autologous fibroblastlike cells to maintain culture homeostasis by producing TGF-β and insulin-like growth factor-lI （IGF-Ⅱ） in response to basic fibroblast growth factor （bFGF）. Although the importance of TGF-β family members in the maintenance of pluripotency of hESCs is widely established, very little is known about the role of IGF-Ⅱ. In order to ease hESC cul- ture conditions and to reduce xenogenic components, we sought （i） to determine whether hESCs can be maintained stable and pluripotent using CM from human foreskin fibroblasts （HFFs） and human mesenchymal stem cells （hM- SCs） rather than MEF-CM, and （ii） to analyze whether the cooperation of bFGF with TGF-β and IGF-Ⅱ to maintain hESCs in MEF-CM may be extrapolated to hESCs maintained in allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell （MSC）-CM and HFF-CM. We found that MSCs and HFFs express all FGF receptors （FGFR1-4） and specifically produce TGF-β in response to bFGF. However, HFFs but not MSCs secrete IGF-Ⅱ. Despite the absence of IGF-Ⅱ in MSC-CM, hESC pluripotency and culture homeostasis were successfully maintained in MSC-CM for over 37 passages. Human ESCs derived on MSCs and hESCs maintained in MSC-CM retained hESC morphology, euploidy, expression of surface markers and transcription factors linked to pluripotency and displayed in vitro and in vivo multilineage developmental potential, suggesting that IGF-Ⅱ may be dispensable for hESC pluripotency. In fact, IGF-Ⅱ blocking had no effect on the homeostasis of hESC cultures maintained either on HFF-CM or on MSC-CM. These data indicate that hESCs are successfully maintained feeder-free with IGF-Ⅱ-lacking MSC-CM, and that the previously proposed paracrine mechanism by which bFGF cooperates with TGF-β and IGF-Ⅱ in the maintenance of hESCs in MEF-CM may not be fully extrapolated to hESCs maintained in CM from human MSCs.

FIT interacts with AtbHLH38 and AtbHLH39 in regulating iron uptake gene expression for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis

Iron is an essential element for plant growth and development. Iron homeostasis in plants is tightly regulated at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. Several bHLH transcription factors involved in iron homeostasis have been identified recently. However, their regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. In this work, we demonstrate that the transcription factor FIT interacted with AtbHLH38 and AtbHLH39 and directly conferred the expression regulation of iron uptake genes for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and transient expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that AtbHLH38 or AtbHLH39 interacted with FIT, a central transcription factor involved in iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Expression of FIT/AtbHLH38 or FIT/AtbHLH39 in yeast cells activated GUS expression driven by ferric chelate reductase （FRO2） and ferrous transporter （IRT1） promoters. Overexpression of FITwith either AtbHLH38 or AtbHLH39 in plants converted the expression of the iron uptake genes FRO2 and IRT1 from induced to constitutive. Further analysis revealed that FRO2 and IRT1 were not regulated at the posttranscriptional level in these plants because IRT1 protein accumulation and high ferric chelate reductase activity were detected in the overexpression plants under both iron deficiency and iron sufficiency. The double overexpression plants accumulated more iron in their shoots than wild type or the plants overexpressing either AtbHLH38, AtbHLH39 or FIT. Our data support that ferric-chelate reductase FRO2 and ferrous-transporter IRT1 are the targets of the three transcription factors and the transcription of FRO2 and IRT1 is directly regulated by a complex of FIT/AtbHLH38 or FIT/AtbHLH39.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancermetastasis

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） is initially considered as a physiological phenomenon during the embryogenesis of mammals, as well as a basic biological event maintaining the stability of the vital body. Recent researches indicated that EMT plays a critical role in various tumors progression, through which epithelial cancers invade and metastasize. The cell characteristics are changed during EMT, in which the cells lose cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and apical polarity, reorganize their cytoskeleton, and become isolated, motile, as well as resistant to anoikis, then become spindle-shaped mesenchymal cells. This review lays emphasis on studying the cell morphogenesis, makers and molecular mechanism regulation about EMT, discussing the relationship between the EMT and the cancer development and metastasis.