EMT is initiated by a series of signaling pathways, including TGF-β, Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog, which activate transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, Twist, and Zeb. These factors repress the expression of endothelial markers (e.g., VE-cadherin) and induce mesenchymal markers (e.g., N-cadherin, vimentin). This shift in marker expression leads to the reorganization of the cytoskeleton and changes in cell adhesion properties.
