fig1

Figure 1. Acquired chemoresistance in breast cancer involves cellular reprogramming. Induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) facilitate resistance development and tumor recurrence. These processes employ EMT and CSC-specific Transcription factors (TFs) and activated through key signaling pathways including TGF-β/SMAD, Wnt-β catenin, Notch, Hedgehog (Hg) and NF-κB/PI3K. Other mechanisms such as increased drug efflux, apoptosis, DNA repair and other microenvironmental changes in addition to their direct involvement in resistance development, indirectly co-activated/ involved during cellular reprogramming (EMT-CSC)-mediated chemoresistance