New Advances in Classical Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Cancer

Wnt/β-catenin-mediated signaling is a key pathway regulating tissue growth and development and tumorigenesis. This signaling pathway has received much attention in recent years. In addition to participating in healthy tissue and organ development, inappropriate activation of this pathway can cause a variety of tumors and other pathologies. It also plays a critical role in many processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and dry maintenance of human tumor cells. This review introduces the underlying mechanism of Wnt signaling pathway and highlights the most recent research progresses on the relationship between Wnt signaling pathway and tumor. Furthermore, the intrinsic link of Wnt signaling pathway to cancer stem cells is also discussed, aiming to curb the malignant progression of tumors from the root cause. Finally, possible clinical strategies harnessing the classical Wnt signaling pathway as a therapeutic target are summarized.