Premium
The Wnt pathway and the roles for its antagonists, DKKS, in angiogenesis
Author(s) -
Choi HyunJung,
Park Hongryeol,
Lee HeonWoo,
Kwon YoungGuen
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
iubmb life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.132
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1521-6551
pISSN - 1521-6543
DOI - 10.1002/iub.1062
Subject(s) - wnt signaling pathway , angiogenesis , lrp5 , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , morphogenesis , lrp6 , signal transduction , endothelial stem cell , frizzled , cancer research , genetics , in vitro , gene
The Wnt signaling pathway is involved in a wide range of developmental and physiological processes, such as cell fate specification, tissue morphogenesis, and homeostasis. Thus, its dysregulation has been found in multiple diseases, including some cardiovascular disorders. The loss or gain of function of Wnt pathway components results in abnormal vascular development and angiogenesis. Further study has revealed that Wnt signaling in endothelial cells appears to contribute to vascular morphogenesis and endothelial cell specification. Owing to the significance of Wnt signaling in angiogenesis, Wnt antagonists have been considered potential treatments for neovascular disorders. In line with this, members of the Dkk protein family (Dkks), well‐known Wnt antagonists, have been recently found to regulate angiogenesis. This review summarizes our present knowledge of the roles of Wnt signaling and Wnt antagonists, particularly Dkks, in angiogenic regulation and explores the therapeutic potential of Wnt antagonists. © 2012 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 64(9): 724–731, 2012