Prevention of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).EMT is an important step in cancer metastasis involving the loss of E-Cadherin and increased ability to degrade the extracellular matrix and invade other tissues. EMT also generates cancer cells with stem cell-like characteristics. Transcriptional activators of E-Cadherin, such as EP300, help prevent EMT and maintain the cell in an epithelial state.The loss of EP300 is thought to allow for initiation of EMT, generation of cancer stem cells, and thus contribute to drug resistance.(21). The gene discussed is EP300; the disease is cancer.