Epithelium and mesenchyme, two tissue types virtually found in every organ, are endowed
with fundamentally different functional properties. Active motility, a capability that is limited to
the mesenchymal repertoire, is the principal characteristic that distinguishes them. During
embryonic development, conversions from epithelium to mesenchyme and from
mesenchyme to epithelium normally occur, allowing morphogenetic processes and tissue
remodelling to take place. However, there is now increasing evidence that the modulation …