%0 Journal Article %A AMALIA RALUCA CEAUSU %A ALEXANDRU CIOLOFAN %A ANCA MARIA CIMPEAN %A ADINA MAGHETI %A OVIDIU MEDERLE %A MARIUS RAICA %T The Mesenchymal–Epithelial and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Cellular Plasticity of Liver Metastases with Digestive Origin %D 2018 %J Anticancer Research %P 811-816 %V 38 %N 2 %X Background: Few data are available regarding the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) /mesenchymal to epitheilal transition (MET) in the liver metastasis of digestive cancers. The aim of this study was to establish EMT/MET metastatic tumor cell plasticity according to the histological growth pattern of liver metastases. Materials and Methods: Biopsies from 25 patients with liver metastasis (desmoplastic, replacement and pushing type) were evaluated. Double immunostaining of E-cadherin/vimentin, keratin 8,18/vimentin and E-cadherin/ keratin 8,18 were performed. Results: The following cell types were noted: epithelial, mesenchymal, non-differentiated and differentiated hybrid mesenchymal/ epithelial and non-hybrid phenotype. All cases had mesenchymal/ epithelial phenotype cells. A significant correlation was found between the non-differentiated hybrid mesenchymal/ epithelial phenotype metastatic cells and histological growth pattern for gastric and colorectal cancer. Conclusion: A MET-targeting strategy, in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy, may be useful for the treatment of liver metastases. %U https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/anticanres/38/2/811.full.pdf