Fig. 1
From: Traditional Chinese Medicine and regulatory roles on epithelial–mesenchymal transitions
(permission obtained from original publishers.)
EMT and organ fibrosis. a EMT can be considered as a continued spectrum, where cells present epithelial (E), intermediate (EM), and mesenchymal (M) phenotypes. During EMT, epithelial cells sequentially lose apico-basal polarity and cell–cell adhesions gain front-back polarity and enhanced cell–matrix interactions [27]. b Cell death induces regenerative process, e.g. epithelial cell proliferation. Upregulation of Snai1 and Twist inhibits EC differentiation, leads to myofibroblast and inflammatory cell accumulation and fibrosis [132]