Estradiol-Induced Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Migration Are Inhibited by Blocking c-Src Kinase in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Purpose: The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the main event that favors cell migration and metastasis in breast cancer. Previously, we demonstrated that 1 nM estradiol (E) promotes EMT, induced by c-Src kinase, causing changes in the localization of proteins that compose the tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ).

Methods: The present work highlights the central role of c-Src in the initiation of metastasis, induced by E, through increasing the ability of MCF-7 and T47-D cells, which express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), to migrate and invade before they become metastatic.