In interdisciplinary terminology, mesenchymal-epidermal transition refers to a process in which cells with mesenchymal characteristics acquire more epithelial or epidermal features, including changes in adhesion, polarity, structural organization, and gene-expression profile. Although the better-known directional phrase in biology is often epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, the reverse concept may be invoked in discussions of wound closure, re-epithelialization, lineage plasticity, or tissue reorganization. In regenerative and reparative settings, the term should be used carefully because its meaning may differ depending on whether the discussion is developmental, mechanistic, experimental, or metaphorical. It is not a casual synonym for skin healing in general, and it should not be used without clarifying whether a specific biologic transition is actually intended.
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