Bile acids: a potential role in the pathogenesis of pharyngeal malignancy.

This is the first demonstration that bile acids induce TGF-β1 and MMP-9 in pharyngeal cells. TGF-β1 is considered a master switch for EMT, while MMP-9 is a part of the EMT proteome which degrades basement membranes. This implies a potential role for bile acids in pharyngeal carcinogenesis through the mechanism of EMT and suggests potential novel therapeutic targets.