Androgen receptor (AR) is the major therapeutic target in aggressive prostate cancer. However, targeting AR alone can result in drug resistance and disease recurrence. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of multiple pathways could in principle be an effective approach to treating prostate cancer. Here we provide proof-of-concept that a small-molecule inhibitor of nuclear β-catenin activity (calle...

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is a potent metastasis suppressor that has been demonstrated to inhibit the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by maintaining the cell-membrane localization of E-cadherin and β-catenin in prostate and colon cancer cells. However, the precise molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this investigation, ...

To investigate the inflammatory effect of Interleukin 18 (IL-18) on rat chondrocytes and the involvement of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways, the mRNA and protein level of matix-degrading enzymes (MMP-2, 3, 9,13 and aggrecanses) and chondrocyte-specific proteins (Collagen II and aggrecan) were evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blot, and key protein level of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways...

Precise regulation of signal transduction pathways is crucial for normal animal development and for maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis in adults. The Wnt/Frizzled-mediated signaling includes canonical and non-canonical signal transduction pathways. Upregulation or downregulation of the canonical Wnt-signaling (or the Wnt/β-Catenin signal transduction) leads to a variety of human diseas...

Background: Inactivation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor protein is responsible for both inherited and sporadic forms of colon cancer. Growth control by APC may relate to its ability to downregulate β-catenin post-translationally. In cancer, mutations in APC ablate its ability to regulate β-catenin, and mutations in β-catenin prevent its downregulation by wild-type APC....

background: wnt molecules play a key role in growth, proliferation and development of some embryonic and adult organs as well as hematopoietic stem cells. wnt signaling pathways are aberrantly activated in many tumor types, including solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. objective: to investigate the expression profile of a large number of wnt genes in leukemic cells from iranian patients ...

The role of persistent activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) in the fibrosis associated with chronic pancreatitis (CP) is increasingly being recognized. Recent studies have shown that Wnt signaling is involved in the development of fibrosis in multiple organs, however, the role of specific Wnts in pancreatic fibrosis remains unknown. We investigated the role of Wnt signaling during PSC...

The Ron receptor tyrosine kinase (macrophage stimulating 1 receptor) is overexpressed in approximately 50% of human breast cancers. Transgenic mice overexpressing Ron in the mammary epithelium [mouse mammary tumor virus driven (MMTV)-Ron expressing mice] develop mammary tumors that exhibit up-regulation of β-catenin and β-catenin target genes. β-Catenin has been shown to be a mediator of mammar...

The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway appears to operate to maintain the undifferentiated state of preadipocytes by inhibiting adipogenic gene expression. To define the mechanisms regulating suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, we analysed the βcatenin expression in response to activation of transcription factors that regulate adipogenesis. The results show an extensive down-regulation of nu...

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