Decoding epithelial-mesenchymal transitions with multi-omics.

Multi-omics and computational methods have enabled detailed decoding of the complex and heterogeneous epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process.

• Why it matters: Understanding EMT is crucial because it plays vital roles in development, tissue repair, aging, and diseases like cancer and fibrosis, but its complexity has hindered systematic study.
• What they did: The authors review how recent high-throughput single-cell and spatial omics technologies, combined with machine learning and network modeling, have advanced the analysis of EMT across multiple regulatory layers.
• The result: These integrated approaches have improved biological insights, paving the way for biomarker discovery and translational applications, despite ongoing challenges and future opportunities.