{"title":"Wnt signaling in cancer: from biomarkers to targeted therapies and clinical translation","authors":"Muhammad Tufail, Can-Hua Jiang, Ning Li","doi":"10.1186/s12943-025-02306-w","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The Wnt signaling pathway plays a crucial role in development and tissue homeostasis, regulating key cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, its abnormal activation is strongly associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy, making it a vital target for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the role of Wnt signaling in cancer, examining its normal physiological functions, dysregulation in malignancies, and therapeutic potential. We emphasize the importance of predicting Wnt signaling sensitivity and identify key biomarkers across various cancer types. Additionally, we address the challenges and future prospects of Wnt-targeted therapies, including biomarker discovery, advancements in emerging technologies, and their application in clinical practice.","PeriodicalId":19000,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Cancer","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":27.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Molecular Cancer","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-025-02306-w","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway plays a crucial role in development and tissue homeostasis, regulating key cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, its abnormal activation is strongly associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy, making it a vital target for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the role of Wnt signaling in cancer, examining its normal physiological functions, dysregulation in malignancies, and therapeutic potential. We emphasize the importance of predicting Wnt signaling sensitivity and identify key biomarkers across various cancer types. Additionally, we address the challenges and future prospects of Wnt-targeted therapies, including biomarker discovery, advancements in emerging technologies, and their application in clinical practice.
期刊介绍:
Molecular Cancer is a platform that encourages the exchange of ideas and discoveries in the field of cancer research, particularly focusing on the molecular aspects. Our goal is to facilitate discussions and provide insights into various areas of cancer and related biomedical science. We welcome articles from basic, translational, and clinical research that contribute to the advancement of understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
The scope of topics covered in Molecular Cancer is diverse and inclusive. These include, but are not limited to, cell and tumor biology, angiogenesis, utilizing animal models, understanding metastasis, exploring cancer antigens and the immune response, investigating cellular signaling and molecular biology, examining epidemiology, genetic and molecular profiling of cancer, identifying molecular targets, studying cancer stem cells, exploring DNA damage and repair mechanisms, analyzing cell cycle regulation, investigating apoptosis, exploring molecular virology, and evaluating vaccine and antibody-based cancer therapies.
Molecular Cancer serves as an important platform for sharing exciting discoveries in cancer-related research. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to communicate information to both specialists and the general public. The online presence of Molecular Cancer enables immediate publication of accepted articles and facilitates the presentation of large datasets and supplementary information. This ensures that new research is efficiently and rapidly disseminated to the scientific community.