Dimensions of cellular plasticity: epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cells, and collective cell migration

Cellular plasticity is a fundamental process in biology and plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes. Here, we review recent work on cancer cell plasticity by discussing phenotypic switching of cancer stem cells and relevance of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in driving metastasis. We also show that by analysing the regulatory network of the EMT, it is possible to devise a strategy to predict the aggressiveness of the tumour. Finally, we discuss how cellular plasticity can help in promoting collective cell migration.