Bhavanasi Dheeraj, Klein Peter S
Department of Medicine (Hematology-Oncology), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Curr Stem Cell Rep. 2016 Dec;2(4):379-387. doi: 10.1007/s40778-016-0068-y. Epub 2016 Oct 13.
Wnt signaling plays important roles in stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in adults as well as in embryonic development. Mutations that activate canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling also initiate and maintain several cancer states, including colorectal cancer and leukemia, and hence Wnt inhibitors are currently being explored as therapeutic options. In this review, we summarize previous studies and update recent findings on canonical Wnt signaling and its components, as well as their roles in somatic stem cell homeostasis and maintenance of cancer initiating cells.
Wnt信号通路在成体干细胞的自我更新和分化以及胚胎发育过程中发挥着重要作用。激活经典Wnt/β-连环蛋白信号通路的突变也会引发并维持多种癌症状态,包括结直肠癌和白血病,因此目前正在探索将Wnt抑制剂作为治疗选择。在这篇综述中,我们总结了以往关于经典Wnt信号通路及其组成部分的研究,并更新了近期的研究发现,以及它们在体干细胞稳态和癌症起始细胞维持中的作用。