Expression and Function of WNT6: From Development to Disease

Music therapy as a preventive intervention for postpartum depression: modulation of synaptic plasticity, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a mouse model

Postpartum depression (PPD) significantly impacts women's mental health and social functioning, yet effective therapies remain limited. This study investigates the preventive effects of music therapy on PPD-like behaviors and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms in a mouse model subjected to ovarian hormone withdrawal (HW). Mice exposed to daily music sessions exhibited markedly reduced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, as evidenced by enhanced performance in behavioral tests such as the open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze test (EPM), sucrose preference test (SPT), novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) test, and tail suspension test (TST). Furthermore, music therapy normalized oxidative stress indicators (NO, MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, T-AOC, ATP, and glutamate) in the serum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Additionally, music exposure reduced levels of proinflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, and TGF-β) and the activation of microglia and astrocytes in these brain regions. Notably, music therapy preserved neuronal integrity, promoted neurogenesis, and maintained synaptic plasticity, evidenced by the restoration of dendritic spines. Transcriptome sequencing identified differential gene expression in pathways related to synaptic plasticity, inflammation, and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that music therapy prevents PPD by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and synaptic integrity, providing robust preclinical evidence for its potential as a natural preventive intervention for PPD. This study underscores the need for further clinical research to validate the therapeutic efficacy of music in preventing PPD in humans, highlighting its promise as a non-invasive and accessible treatment modality.

Anti-liver cancer therapeutic targets and safety of usenamine A in experimental liver cancer

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer is highly heterogeneous with poor drug response. Usenamine A has anticancer activity. Usnic acid has hepatocytotoxicity.

OBJECTIVES

As a derivative of usnic acid, if usenamine A can be safely used in treatment for liver cancer is unknown.

METHODS

MTT and clone formation assays assessed cell viability and proliferation. Tumor growth was determined using a xenograft model. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle. mRNA transcriptome sequencing investigated differential gene expression. Safety was evaluated in mice.

KEY FINDINGS

Usenamine A inhibited proliferation and clone formation of HepG2 cells and xenograft tumor growth through cell cycle arrest at G0/G1. Usenamine A altered gene expression in a direction supporting anticancer activity. IL24, JUN, DUSP4, and DUSP5 were upregulated while PRKACA, PRKCB, TP53, WNT6, E2F3, LGR4, GPR78, and MAPK4 were downregulated. Ten of above genes overlapped in the KEGG enriched non-small cell lung cancer/glioma/cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction/Wnt/MAPK pathway network. Usenamine A has a strong binding affinity for PRKACA and PRKCB proteins. Usenamine A showed minimal toxicity in mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Usenamine A is a safe anticancer agent against hepatocellular carcinoma. Regulation of 12 cancer-associated genes and the correlated pathway network are its therapeutic targets.

Transcriptomic data reveals MYC as an upstream regulator in laying hen follicular recruitment

Understanding the mechanisms of follicular recruitment is essential for improving laying hen and broiler breeder productivity, as it directly influences egg production. Despite advancements in poultry breeding for enhanced egg production, the factors driving successful ovarian follicle maturation remain inadequately understood. This study investigates the genetic drivers mediating the transition of pre-recruitment follicles to the pre-ovulatory phase, a crucial stage before ovulation. Using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics approaches such as a differential gene expression analysis, we compared pre-recruitment follicles with the recently recruited F5 pre-ovulatory follicle to identify key genes and upstream regulators involved in this transition. Further validation through qRT-PCR confirmed these findings. Using Qiagen's Ingenuity Pathway Analysis we identified MYC proto-oncogene (C-Myc) as a pivotal upstream regulator, controlling genes essential for cell proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, TGFβ1 emerged as a key regulator, influencing pathways involving SMAD3, TNF, and TP53. The study highlights the intricate regulatory network involving MYC and other transcription factors such as CTNNB1, crucial for follicular development. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing follicular selection and maturation, which are essential for enhancing egg production efficiency. Future research should explore the roles of MYC, CTNNB1, and other driver genes in follicular development to further understand and improve reproductive efficiency in poultry.

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Congenital Abnormalities of Kidney and Urinary Tract

Background

Precise regulation of cell-cell communication is vital for cell survival and normal function during embryogenesis. The Wnt protein family, a highly conserved and extensively studied group, plays a crucial role in key cell-cell signaling events essential for development and regeneration. Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent a leading cause of chronic kidney disease in children and young adults, and include a variety of birth abnormalities resulting from disrupted genitourinary tract development during embryonic development. The incidence and progression of CAKUT may be related to the Wnt signal transduction mechanism.

Summary

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the classical Wnt signaling pathway's role in CAKUT, explores related molecular mechanisms and provides new targets and intervention methods for the future treatment of the disease.

Key Messages

The Wnt signal is intricately engaged in a variety of differentiation processes throughout kidney development.

Single-Cell Transcriptome Sequencing and Analysis Provide a New Approach for the Treatment of Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Cervix

INTRODUCTION

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCNECC) is a rare gynecologic malignant tumor, which has lack of systematic research. In order to investigate its molecular characteristics, origin, and pathogenesis, single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-Seq) of SCNECC was performed for the first time, the cellular and molecular landscape was revealed, and the key genes for clinical prognosis were screened.

METHODS

This article initially performed the scRNA-Seq on a tumor tissue sample from an SCNECC patient, combined with scRNA-Seq data from a healthy cervical tissue sample downloaded from a public database; the single-cell transcriptome landscape was constructed. Then, we investigated the cell types, intratumoral heterogeneity, characteristics of tumor microenvironment, and potential predictive markers of SCNECC.

RESULTS

We identified two malignant cell populations, tumor stem cells and malignant carcinoma cells, and revealed two tumor progression pathways of SCNECC. By analyzing gene expression levels in the pathophysiology of SCNECC, we found that the expression levels of ERBB4 and NRG1, as well as the expression profile of mTOR signaling pathway mediated by them, were significantly upregulated in malignant carcinoma cells. In addition, we also found that carcinoma cells were able to stimulate malignant cell proliferation through the FN1 signaling pathway. The immune cells were in a stress state, with T-cell depletion, macrophage polarization, and mast cell glycolysis. These results suggested that carcinoma cells could interfere with immune response and promote tumor escape through MIF, TGFb, and other immunosuppressive-related signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the mechanism of genesis and progression in SCNECC and the related important signaling pathways, such as mTOR, and provided new insights into the treatment of SCNECC.

Exploratory DNA methylation analysis in post-mortem heart tissue of sudden unexplained death

BACKGROUND

Sudden unexplained death (SUD) is a devastating event in the young. Despite efforts to identify causal genetic variants, many cases remain unexplained after genetic screening. This study aimed to investigate an alternative potential contributor to SUD by studying the human methylome using the MethylationEPIC v2.0 BeadChip kit in heart tissue from SUD cases. The genome-wide methylation results of the SUD cases were compared to the results of a control cohort. The SUD cases were divided into three main groups based on their autopsy reports, heart morphology and histopathology (primaryN: macroscopically and histologically normal heart; primaryCM: macroscopically or histologically abnormal heart, suspected cardiomyopathies; and secondary: myocardial damage due to other underlying conditions). The main focus of this study was to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the case groups and the control cohort.

RESULTS

We identified DMRs for both the primaryN and primaryCM groups, whereas the secondary group yielded no such results. In the primaryN cases, the corresponding genes for each DMR led to the identification of genes with common biological pathways. Some were associated with heart morphology (e.g. heart outflow tract morphogenesis or trabecular morphogenesis), but the majority belonged to more general cellular regulatory pathways (e.g. transcription coactivator activity, long non-coding RNAs, etc.). Although no common pathways were found for the primaryCM group, some common regulatory molecular functions were identified, such as p53 binding and transcription coactivator activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to investigate the whole human methylome in heart tissue of SUD cases. We propose that there are observable differences in the methylation patterns of the case groups that may have contributed to SUD. Still, further studies are required to improve our understanding of the impact of methylation levels on SUD risk and to pinpoint methylation-based screening opportunities for SUD relatives.

Emerging roles and biomarker potential of WNT6 in human cancers

The WNT6 ligand is a well-known activator of the WNT signaling pathway, considered a vital player in several important physiologic processes during embryonic development and maintaining homeostasis throughout life, regulating the proliferation and differentiation of multiple stem/progenitor cell types. More recently, as it is the case for many key molecular regulators of embryonic development, dysregulation of WNT6 has been implicated in cancer development and progression in multiple studies. In this review, we overview the most significant recent findings regarding WNT6 in the context of human malignancies, exploring its influence on multiple dimensions of tumor pathophysiology and highlighting the putative underlying WNT6-associated molecular mechanisms. We also discuss the potential clinical implications of WNT6 as a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker. This critical review highlights the emerging relevance of WNT6 in multiple human cancers, and its potential as a clinically-useful biomarker, addressing key unanswered questions that could lead to new opportunities in patient diagnosis, stratification, and the development of rationally-designed precision therapies.

Selenium Deficiency Exacerbates Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Injury in Newborn C3H/HeN Mice

Extremely preterm infants are often treated with supraphysiological oxygen, which contributes to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). These same infants exhibit compromised antioxidant capacities due in part to selenium (Se) deficiency. Se is essential for basal and inducible antioxidant responses. The present study utilized a perinatal Se deficiency (SeD) mouse model to identify the combined effects of newborn hyperoxia exposure and SeD on alveolarization and antioxidant responses, including the identification of affected developmental pathways. Se-sufficient (SeS) and SeD C3H/HeN breeding pairs were generated, and pups were exposed to room air or 85% O2 from birth to 14 d. Survival, antioxidant protein expression, and RNA seq analyses were performed. Greater than 40% mortality was observed in hyperoxia-exposed SeD pups. Surviving SeD pups had greater lung growth deficits than hyperoxia-exposed SeS pups. Gpx2 and 4 protein and Gpx activity were significantly decreased in SeD pups. Nrf2-regulated proteins, Nqo1 and Gclc were increased in SeD pups exposed to hyperoxia. RNA seq revealed significant decreases in the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. Se is a biologically relevant modulator of perinatal lung development and antioxidant responses, especially in the context of hyperoxia exposure. The RNA seq analyses suggest pathways essential for normal lung development are dysregulated by Se deficiency.

Unveiling the Protective Role of Melatonin in Osteosarcoma: Current Knowledge and Limitations

Melatonin, an endogenous neurohormone produced by the pineal gland, has received increased interest due to its potential anti-cancer properties. Apart from its well-known role in the sleep-wake cycle, extensive scientific evidence has shown its role in various physiological and pathological processes, such as inflammation. Additionally, melatonin has demonstrated promising potential as an anti-cancer agent as its function includes inhibition of tumorigenesis, induction of apoptosis, and regulation of anti-tumor immune response. Although a precise pathophysiological mechanism is yet to be established, several pathways related to the regulation of cell cycle progression, DNA repair mechanisms, and antioxidant activity have been implicated in the anti-neoplastic potential of melatonin. In the current manuscript, we focus on the potential anti-cancer properties of melatonin and its use in treating and managing pediatric osteosarcoma. This aggressive bone tumor primarily affects children and adolescents and is treated mainly by surgical and radio-oncological interventions, which has improved survival rates among affected individuals. Significant disadvantages to these interventions include disease recurrence, therapy-related toxicity, and severe/debilitating side effects that the patients have to endure, significantly affecting their quality of life. Melatonin has therapeutic effects when used for treating osteosarcoma, attributed to its ability to halt cancer cell proliferation and trigger apoptotic cell death, thereby enhancing chemotherapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the antioxidative function of melatonin alleviates harmful side effects of chemotherapy-induced oxidative damage, aiding in decreasing therapeutic toxicities. The review concisely explains the many mechanisms by which melatonin targets osteosarcoma, as evidenced by significant results from several in vitro and animal models. Nevertheless, if further explored, human trials remain a challenge that could shed light and support its utility as an adjunctive therapeutic modality for treating osteosarcoma.

The odontoblastic differentiation of dental mesenchymal stem cells: molecular regulation mechanism and related genetic syndromes

Dental mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs) are multipotent progenitor cells that can differentiate into multiple lineages including odontoblasts, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neural cells, myocytes, cardiomyocytes, adipocytes, endothelial cells, melanocytes, and hepatocytes. Odontoblastic differentiation of DMSCs is pivotal in dentinogenesis, a delicate and dynamic process regulated at the molecular level by signaling pathways, transcription factors, and posttranscriptional and epigenetic regulation. Mutations or dysregulation of related genes may contribute to genetic diseases with dentin defects caused by impaired odontoblastic differentiation, including tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome, X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH), Raine syndrome (RS), hypophosphatasia (HPP), Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD), and Elsahy-Waters syndrome (EWS). Herein, recent progress in the molecular regulation of the odontoblastic differentiation of DMSCs is summarized. In addition, genetic syndromes associated with disorders of odontoblastic differentiation of DMSCs are discussed. An improved understanding of the molecular regulation and related genetic syndromes may help clinicians better understand the etiology and pathogenesis of dentin lesions in systematic diseases and identify novel treatment targets.

Small-molecular cyclic peptide exerts viability suppression effects on HepG2 cells via triggering p53 apoptotic pathways

Cyclic peptides have become an attractive modality for drug development due to their high specificity, metabolic stability and higher cell permeability. In an effort to explore novel antitumor compounds based on natural cyclopeptide from the phakellistatin family, we found an isoindolinone-containing analog (S-PK6) of phakellistatin 6 capable of suppressing the viability and proliferation of HepG2 cells. The aim of the present study is to shed light on the mechanism of action of this novel compound. We have detected differences in gene expression before and after treatment with S-PK6 in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line by transcriptome sequencing. To further investigate biological effects, we have also extensively investigated the tumor cell cycle, mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration after S-PK6 treatment. Based on the finding that the apoptosis was associated with the p53 signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway, western blotting tests were used to assess the expression level of p53 protein and its degenerative regulator MDM2 protein, which showed that S-PK6 could increase p53 levels efficiently. In summary, our results demonstrate the mechanism of action of a small-molecule cyclopeptide, which could be very useful for examining of the possible mechanisms of natural cyclopeptides.

Non-canonical Wnt signaling in the eye

Wnt signaling comprises a group of complex signal transduction pathways that play critical roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis during development, as well as in stem cell maintenance and adult tissue homeostasis. Wnt pathways are classified into two major groups, canonical (β-catenin-dependent) or non-canonical (β-catenin-independent). Most previous studies in the eye have focused on canonical Wnt signaling, and the role of non-canonical signaling remains poorly understood. Additionally, the crosstalk between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling in the eye has hardly been explored. In this review, we present an overview of available data on ocular non-canonical Wnt signaling, including developmental and functional aspects in different eye compartments. We also discuss important changes of this signaling in various ocular conditions, such as keratoconus, aniridia-related keratopathy, diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, optic nerve damage, pathological angiogenesis, and abnormalities in the trabecular meshwork and conjunctival cells, and limbal stem cell deficiency.

Suppression of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Is Associated with Downregulation of Wnt1, PORCN, and Rspo2 in Alzheimer's Disease

Wnt and R-spondin (Rspo) proteins are two major types of endogenous Wnt/β-catenin signaling agonists. While Wnt/β-catenin signaling is greatly diminished in Alzheimer's disease (AD), it remains to be elucidated whether the inhibition of this pathway is associated with dysregulation of Wnt and Rspo proteins. By analyzing temporal cortex RNA-seq data of the human postmortem brain samples, we found that WNT1 and RRPO2 were significantly downregulated in human AD brains. In addition, the expression of Wnt acyltransferase porcupine (PORCN), which is essential for Wnt maturation and secretion, was greatly deceased in these human AD brains. Interestingly, the lowest levels of WNT1, PORCN, and RSPO2 expression were found in human AD brains carrying two copies of APOE4 allele, the strongest genetic risk factor of late-onset AD. Importantly, there were positive correlations among the levels of WNT1, PORCN, and RSPO2 expression in human AD brains. Supporting observations in humans, Wnt1, PORCN, and Rspo2 were downregulated and Wnt/β-catenin signaling was diminished in the 5xFAD amyloid model mice. In human APOE-targeted replacement mice, downregulation of WNT1, PORCN, and RSPO2 expression was positively associated with aging and APOE4 genotype. Finally, WNT1 and PORCN expression and Wnt/β-catenin signaling were inhibited in human APOE4 iPSC-derived astrocytes when compared to the isogenic APOE3 iPSC-derived astrocytes. Altogether, our findings suggest that the dysregulations of Wnt1, PORCN, and Rspo2 could be coordinated together to diminish Wnt/β-catenin signaling in aging- and APOE4-dependent manners in the AD brain.

WNT6 participates in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer by upregulating/activating the typical Wnt pathway and Notch1 signaling pathway

Wnt/β-catenin pathway is associated with the progression of various cancers such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancer. Using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, we found that WNT6 was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes. Immunohistochemical analysis of ovarian cancer samples and normal ovaries showed that the expression of WNT6 protein was significantly increased in ovarian cancer samples. Further, we explored the possible role of WNT6 in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer. Our results showed that the mRNA and protein expression of WNT6 were significantly higher in CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells compared with other ovarian cancer cell lines and normal ovarian cell line IOSE-80 as well. The transformation of CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells with short interfering WNT6 (siWNT6) significantly inhibited their proliferation and lamellipodia formation, causing cell cycle arrest and promoting cell apoptosis. Western blot experiments confirmed that the down-regulation of WNT6 inhibited the expression of β-catenin and Notch1. These results suggest that WNT6 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer.

Elevated trophoblastic Siglec6 contributes to the impairment of vascular endothelial cell functions by downregulating Wnt6/β-catenin signaling in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE), a systemic vascular disorder, is the leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and its pathogenesis has yet to be fully elucidated. Siglec6, a transmembrane protein, is highly expressed in human placental trophoblasts, and previous studies have shown that Siglec6 overexpression correlates with PE, but the role of Siglec6 during PE progression is unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of Siglec6 were upregulated in early-onset PE placentas compared with uncomplicated pregnancies, and Siglec6 was primarily located in syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs) and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). Moreover, our results showed that chemical reagent-induced HIF-1α accumulation promoted the mRNA and protein levels of Siglec6 in HTR8/SVneo and BeWo cells. Although Siglec6 overexpression did not affect HTR8/SVneo cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, the conditional medium derived from the Siglec6 overexpressed HTR8/SVneo cells (Siglec6-OE-CM) significantly impaired the proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Subsequently, the transcriptome sequencing results revealed that Siglec6 overexpression led to the downregulation of Wnt6 in HTR8/SVneo cells, which was further confirmed by qPCR and ELISA. Recombinant human Wnt6 reversed Siglec6-OE-CM-mediated suppression of HUVEC functions by reactivating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Altogether, our study found that elevated trophoblastic Siglec6 contributed to the impairment of vascular endothelial cell functions by downregulating Wnt6/β-catenin signaling.

Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5A2 Regulates Expression of Antiviral Genes

Translation factors are essential for regulation of protein synthesis. The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) family is made up of two paralogues - eIF5A1 and eIF5A2 - which display high sequence homology but distinct tissue tropism. While eIF5A1 directly binds to the ribosome and regulates translation initiation, elongation, and termination, the molecular function of eIF5A2 remains poorly understood. Here, we engineer an eIF5A2 knockout allele in the SW480 colon cancer cell line. Using ribosome profiling and RNA-Sequencing, we reveal that eIF5A2 is functionally distinct from eIF5A1 and does not regulate transcript-specific or global protein synthesis. Instead, eIF5A2 knockout leads to decreased intrinsic antiviral gene expression, including members of the IFITM and APOBEC3 family. Furthermore, cells lacking eIF5A2 display increased permissiveness to virus infection. Our results uncover eIF5A2 as a factor involved regulating the antiviral transcriptome, and reveal an example of how gene duplications of translation factors can result in proteins with distinct functions.

Cancer Detection and Classification by CpG Island Hypermethylation Signatures in Plasma Cell-Free DNA

Simple Summary

The detection of DNA methylation changes in blood has emerged as a promising approach for cancer diagnosis and management. Our group has previously optimized a blood DNA methylation profiling technology that is based on affinity capture of methylated DNA, termed cfMBD-seq. The aim of this study was to assess the potential clinical feasibility of cfMBD-seq. We applied cfMBD-seq to the blood samples of cancer patients and identified methylation signatures that can not only discriminate cancer patients from cancer-free individuals but can also enable accurate multi-cancer classification. Our findings will help to expand on existing blood-based molecular diagnostic tests and identify novel methylation biomarkers for early cancer detection and classification.

Abstract

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation has emerged as a promising biomarker for early cancer detection, tumor type classification, and treatment response monitoring. Enrichment-based cfDNA methylation profiling methods such as cfMeDIP-seq have shown high accuracy in the classification of multiple cancer types. We have previously optimized another enrichment-based approach for ultra-low input cfDNA methylome profiling, termed cfMBD-seq. We reported that cfMBD-seq outperforms cfMeDIP-seq in the enrichment of high-CpG-density regions, such as CpG islands. However, the clinical feasibility of cfMBD-seq is unknown. In this study, we applied cfMBD-seq to profiling the cfDNA methylome using plasma samples from cancer patients and non-cancer controls. We identified 1759, 1783, and 1548 differentially hypermethylated CpG islands (DMCGIs) in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer patients, respectively. Interestingly, the vast majority of DMCGIs were overlapped with aberrant methylation changes in corresponding tumor tissues, indicating that DMCGIs detected by cfMBD-seq were mainly driven by tumor-specific DNA methylation patterns. From the overlapping DMCGIs, we carried out machine learning analyses and identified a set of discriminating methylation signatures that had robust performance in cancer detection and classification. Overall, our study demonstrates that cfMBD-seq is a powerful tool for sensitive detection of tumor-derived epigenomic signals in cfDNA.

Wnt6 plays a complex role in maintaining human limbal stem/progenitor cells

The corneal epithelium is consistently regenerated by limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSCs), a very small population of adult stem cells residing in the limbus. Several Wnt ligands, including Wnt6, are preferentially expressed in the limbus. To investigate the role of Wnt6 in regulating proliferation and maintenance of human LSCs in an in vitro LSC expansion setting, we generated NIH-3T3 feeder cells to overexpress different levels of Wnt6. Characterization of LSCs cultured on Wnt6 expressing 3T3 cells showed that high level of Wnt6 increased proliferation of LSCs. Medium and high levels of Wnt6 also increased the percentage of small cells (diameter ≤ 12 µm), a feature of the stem cell population. Additionally, the percentage of cells expressing the differentiation marker K12 was significantly reduced in the presence of medium and high Wnt6 levels. Although Wnt6 is mostly known as a canonical Wnt ligand, our data showed that canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways were activated in the Wnt6-supplemented LSC cultures, a finding suggesting that interrelationships between both pathways are required for LSC regulation.

Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway in prostate cancer and associated drug resistance

Globally, prostate cancer ranks second in cancer burden of the men. It occurs more frequently in black men compared to white or Asian men. Usually, high rates exist for men aged 60 and above. In this review, we focus on the Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway in prostate cancer since many studies have reported that β-catenin can function as an oncogene and is important in Wnt signaling. We also relate its expression to the androgen receptor and MMP-7 protein, both critical to prostate cancer pathogenesis. Some mutations in the androgen receptor also impact the androgen-β-catenin axis and hence, lead to the progression of prostate cancer. We have also reviewed MiRNAs that modulate this pathway in prostate cancer. Finally, we have summarized the impact of Wnt/β-catenin pathway proteins in the drug resistance of prostate cancer as it is a challenging facet of therapy development due to the complexity of signaling pathways interaction and cross-talk.