Actin cytoskeletal control during epithelial to mesenchymal transition: focus on the pancreas and intestinal tract

The formation of epithelial tissues allows organisms to specialise and form tissues with diverse functions and compartmentalised environments. The tight controls on cell growth and migration required to maintain epithelia can present problems such as the development and spread of cancer when normal pathways are disrupted. By attaining a deeper understanding of how cell migration is suppressed to maintain the epithelial organisation and how it is reactivated when epithelial tissues become mesenchymal, new insights into both cancer and development can be gained. Here we discuss recent developments in our understanding of epithelial and mesenchymal regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in normal and cancerous tissue, with a focus on the pancreas and intestinal tract.