The role of the hedgehog signaling pathway in the development of basal cell carcinoma and opportunities for treatment.

The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an important role in embryogenesis across multiple species. Its activity is reduced or absent in adult organisms. However, activation of the pathway has been shown to be a factor in the development of a number of human malignancies and inhibition of the pathway is being investigated as a potential treatment for multiple cancers. The most extensively investigated and best characterized is basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which occurs in both an inherited form (basal cell nevus syndrome or Gorlin's syndrome) and a sporadic form. Sporadic BCCs are the most common human malignancy. There is recent data available on the use of a small molecule inhibitor of the pathway in BCC.