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.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.