Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Proliferation of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Initiated upon Loss of Cell-Cell Contact

Abstract

EMT and the onset of proliferation in RPE cells is initiated by loss of cell-cell contact. TGF-beta cannot initiate EMT or the proliferation of RPE cells maintaining cell-cell contact but appears to play an important secondary role downstream of EMT in inducing transition to a myofibroblast phenotype-a phenotype linked to the development of fibrotic complications.