ACTA1 and cancer: This process is characterized by upregulation of mesenchymal markers such as vimentin (Vim), N-cadherin (N-cad) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), accompanied by downregulation of epithelial markers E-cadherin (E-cad), ultimately leading to increased invasiveness, metastatic dissemination, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance [49].