BACKGROUND In limb regeneration of amphibians, the early steps leading to blastema formation are critical for the success of regeneration, and the initiation of regeneration in an adult limb requires the presence of nerves. Xenopus laevis tadpoles can completely regenerate an amputated limb at the early limb bud stage, and the metamorphosed young adult also regenerates a limb by a nerve-depende...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent liver tumor and a deadly disease with limited therapeutic options. Dysregulation of cell signaling pathways is a common denominator in tumorigenesis, including hepatocarcinogenesis. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling system is commonly activated in HCC, and is currently being evaluated as a therapeutic target in combination...

UNLABELLED Glioma-initiating cells (GIC), which are characterized by their self-renewal capacity and tumorigenicity, were recently identified as a highly tumorigenic subpopulation of glioblastoma multiforme and are considered responsible for glioblastoma recurrence and chemo/radiation resistance. Previously, it was revealed that Wnt signaling activation is critical to the self-renewal of GICs. ...

Liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation, which may destroy tumor masses, but not all liver CSCs contribute to tumor initiation, metastasis, and relapse. In the present study, we showed that liver CSCs with elevated Wnt/β-catenin signaling possess much greater self-renewal and clonogenic potential. We further documented that the increased clonogeni...

Colon cancer is still a burden mainly due to metastasis formation. The latter is often associated with a constitutive activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and high expression of the metastasis-inducing gene S100A4. We previously identified S100A4 as a transcriptional target of beta-catenin. Intervention strategies targeting Wnt/beta-catenin signaling might therefore represent pr...

Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling can induce both self-renewal and differentiation in naive pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To gain insights into the mechanism by which Wnt/β-catenin regulates ESC fate, we screened and characterized its downstream targets. Here, we show that the self-renewal-promoting effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is mainly mediated by two of its downstream tar...

INTRODUCTION: Bone remodeling, a dynamic process involving bone resorption followed by bone formation, takes place throughout life to maintain bone homeostasis. Osteoporosis pseudoglioma (OPPG) syndrome and high bone mass (HBM) syndrome are both mapped to the locus of Lrp5, a receptor for Wnt ligands in activation of β-catenin signaling (1). OPPG patients harbor inactivating mutations in the Lr...

Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway of all progressive renal disease. Excessive and chronic activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway results in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. To mimic CKD, the present study used 5/6-nephrectomized rats, and alterations in kidney histology, expression of β‑catenin and renal cell apoptosis were assessed. In addition, mesangial cells wer...

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that currently infects a large percentage of the world population. Although usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals, HCMV infection during pregnancy may cause spontaneous abortions, premature delivery, or permanent neurological disabilities in infants infected in utero. During infection, the virus exerts control over a multitude of ho...

Adult colorectal epithelium undergoes continuous renewal and maintains homeostatic balance through regulated cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway involving the transcriptional co-activator β-catenin is important for colorectal development and normal epithelial maintenance, and deregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in color...