Wnt signalling in stem cells and cancer

T Reya, H Clevers - Nature, 2005 - nature.com
Nature, 2005nature.com
The canonical Wnt cascade has emerged as a critical regulator of stem cells. In many
tissues, activation of Wnt signalling has also been associated with cancer. This has raised
the possibility that the tightly regulated self-renewal mediated by Wnt signalling in stem and
progenitor cells is subverted in cancer cells to allow malignant proliferation. Insights gained
from understanding how the Wnt pathway is integrally involved in both stem cell and cancer
cell maintenance and growth in the intestinal, epidermal and haematopoietic systems may …
Abstract
The canonical Wnt cascade has emerged as a critical regulator of stem cells. In many tissues, activation of Wnt signalling has also been associated with cancer. This has raised the possibility that the tightly regulated self-renewal mediated by Wnt signalling in stem and progenitor cells is subverted in cancer cells to allow malignant proliferation. Insights gained from understanding how the Wnt pathway is integrally involved in both stem cell and cancer cell maintenance and growth in the intestinal, epidermal and haematopoietic systems may serve as a paradigm for understanding the dual nature of self-renewal signals.
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