Scope of Wnt signaling in the precise diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Abstract

Malignant breast cancers are responsible for a growing number of deaths among women globally. The latest research has demonstrated that Wnt signaling is pivotal in this disease, regulating a safe microenvironment for the growth and proliferation of cancer cells, sustained stemness, resistance to therapy, and aggregate formation. The three highly conserved Wnt signaling pathways, Wnt-planar cell polarity (PCP), Wnt/β-catenin signaling and Wnt-Ca²⁺ signaling, assume various roles in the maintenance and amelioration of breast cancer. In this review, we examine ongoing studies on the Wnt signaling pathways and discuss how dysregulation of these pathways promotes breast cancers. We also look at how Wnt dysregulation could be exploited to foster new treatments for malignant breast cancers.

Keywords: Wnt signaling; breast cancer; notch signaling; tumor therapy.