Data are emerging implicating Wnt signaling in ovarian tumorigenesis. We sought to review the current literature on the subject and discuss the pathway's potential role as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target. We conducted a systematic literature review of studies investigating the association between Wnt signaling and ovarian cancer. Search strategies included online searching of the MEDLINE database and hand searching of relevant publications and reviews. Additional reports were collected by systematically reviewing all references from retrieved papers. Twenty-nine papers were identified that directly investigate Wnt signaling and ovarian cancer. Mutations in the CTNNB1 gene that codes for β-catenin, the key effector in the pathway, are directly linked to carcinogenic transformation but are mostly found in ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas, a histologic subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer. These mutations, along with others, lead to deregulation of the pathway and transcription of target genes. Differences in various intra-and extracellular components of the Wnt pathway have been demonstrated between normal ovarian and cancer cell lines and between benign tissue and ovarian cancer. These differences implicate Wnt signaling in the molecular events that lead to ovarian cancer development despite the fact that gene mutations are uncommon. The data suggest that Wnt signaling plays a role in ovarian tumorigenesis. The exact mechanisms by which this occurs need to be further elucidated. Wnt signaling is probably involved via multiple, diverse mechanisms. Further research in this area is warranted.
Keywords ovarian cancer; tumorigenesis; Wnt signalingOvarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer in women and is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer. In 2007, it is estimated that there will be 22,430 new ovarian cancer cases with 15,280 deaths in the United States(1). The disease has an insidious onset, often presenting with vague nonspecific symptoms such as increasing abdominal girth, early satiety, and a change in bowel and/or bladder habits(2). Most ovarian cancer presents as stage III or IV disease. Worldwide, less than 30% of those with advanced ovarian cancer survive 5 years after initial diagnosis(3). Epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) arise from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) and account for greater than 80% of all ovarian Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Troy A. Gatcliffe, MD, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California-Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Drive South, Building 56, Suite 260, Orange, CA 92868, USA. Email: tgatclif@uci.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This PDF receipt will only be used as the basis for generating PubMed Central (PMC) documents. PMC documents will be made available for review after conversion (approx. 2−3 weeks time). Any corrections that need to be made will be done at that time. No materials will be released to PMC without the approval of an author. Only t...
Resveratrol is a bioflavonoid which is known to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines at concentrations above 50uM. It also has colon cancer prevention activity in mouse models and possibly in humans. We have examined the effects of low concentrations of resveratrol on a specific signaling pathway, the Wnt pathway, which is activated in over 85% of sporadic colon cancers. Two colon cancer (HT29 and RKO) and one normal mucosa-derived (NCM460) cell lines were utilized. Cell proliferation was not affected by resveratrol at ≤40uM for HT29 and NCM460 and <20uM for RKO though Wnt signal throughput, as measured by a reporter construct, was reduced in RKO and NCM460 at concentrations as low as 10uM (p<0.001). This effect was most easily appreciated following Wnt pathway stimulation with Wnt3a conditioned medium and LEF1 or LEF1/ β-catenin transfection. Resveratrol did not inhibit Wnt throughput in mutationally activated HT29. Low concentrations of resveratrol significantly decreased the amount and proportion of β-catenin in the nucleus in RKO (p=0.002) and reduced the expression of lgs and pygoI, regulators of β-catenin localization in all cells lines. Thus, at low concentrations, in the absence of effects on cell proliferation, resveratrol significantly inhibits Wnt signaling in colon-derived cells which do not have a basally activated Wnt pathway. This inhibitory effect may be due in part to regulation of intracellular β-catenin localization.
While the role of Wnt signaling is well established in colorectal carcinogenesis, its function in gynecologic cancers has not been elucidated. Here, we describe the current state of knowledge of canonical Wnt signaling in endometrial cancer (EC), and its implications for future therapeutic targets. Deregulation of the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway in EC occurs by inactivating b-catenin mutations in approximately 10-45% of ECs, and via downregulation of Wnt antagonists by epigenetic silencing. The Wnt pathway is intimately involved with estrogen and progesterone, and emerging data implicate it in other important signaling pathways, such as mTOR and Hedgehog. While no therapeutic agents targeting the Wnt signaling pathway are currently in clinical trials, the preclinical data presented suggest a role for Wnt signaling in uterine carcinogenesis, with further research warranted to elucidate the mechanism of action and to proceed towards targeted cancer drug development.
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