In the June 24th online edition of Stem Cells, V. L. Battula et al. from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, reported their study on induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast epithelial cells. The investigator noted that EMT normally is an embryonic process which is latent in normal adult tissues and diagnostic for aggressive metastatic breast cancers. The researchers conducted experiments in which ectotopic expression of Twist, Snail or TGF-β in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells can induced EMT and endow the cells with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) traits. Similar to MSCs, these EMT-derived cells were CD44+, CD24-, CD45-, and CD140b+ (PDGFR-β). In vitro differentiation revealed EMT-derived cells could differentiate into adipocytes, chrondrocytes, and osteoblasts. Additionally, the investigators showed that EMT-derived homed in vivo toward wound sites and in vitro the cells migrated toward breast cancer cells, similar to MSCs. The authors concluded from their study results that "EMT-derived cells are similar to MSCs in gene expression, multilineage differentiation, and ability to migrate towards tumor cells and wound sites."