Wnt Signalling News and Research

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Unveiling the role of Daam1 gene in intestinal stem cell fate decisions

Stem cells can differentiate to replace dead and damaged cells. But how do stem cells decide which type of cell to become in a given situation?

24 Nov 2023

Study reveals structural insights into the elusive tankyrase protein that fuels bowel cancer

Scientists have revealed the inner workings of a key protein involved in a wide range of cellular processes – potentially paving the way for better and less toxic cancer drugs.

23 Nov 2022

Research shows how orderly regeneration is activated after injury

The phenomenon of regeneration was discovered over 200 years ago in the freshwater polyp Hydra. Until now, however, it was largely unclear how the orderly regeneration of lost tissues or organs is activated after injury.

2 Sep 2022

Scientists identify potential treatment for previously unknown condition affecting children

Researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine identified a previously unknown condition affecting children, which they discovered could be prevented by administering a drug during pregnancy.

2 Oct 2021

Study shows how signaling pathways operate on molecular and cellular levels

Scientists have made a pivotal breakthrough in understanding the way in which cells communicate with each other.

9 Apr 2021

YAP inhibitors could facilitate targeted treatment of basal-like breast cancer

Targeted treatment of basal-like breast cancer could be facilitated by YAP inhibitors in the future. As reported by an MDC team headed by Walter Birchmeier in the scientific journal Cancer Research, this type of cancer requires the support of the YAP protein to stimulate the growth of cancer stem cells.

22 Mar 2021

Study could lead to the development of novel treatments for drug-resistant cancers

ETC-159, a made-in-Singapore anti-cancer drug that is currently in early phase clinical trials for use in a subset of colorectal and gynecological cancers, could also prevent some tumors from resisting therapies by blocking a key DNA repair mechanism, researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore reported in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

16 Mar 2021

Signaling pathway promotes cancer growth by blocking pro-growth signals from second major cancer pathway

Sometimes, too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad. This is certainly the case for the excessive cell growth found in cancer. But when cancers try to grow too fast, this excessive speed can cause a type of cellular ageing that actually results in arrested growth.

23 Nov 2020

Study may lead to new diagnostic and treatment strategies for fighting bone cancer

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common form of aggressive bone cancer. A MedUni Vienna study, led by geneticist Erwin Wagner, has uncovered new insights into the disease mechanisms of OS, paving the way for potential new diagnostic and treatment strategies for fighting the bone disease

21 Jul 2020

Study finds drivers of healthy gut maintenance

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found two genes that regulate the differentiation of stem cells in the small intestine, offering valuable insight into how the body develops and maintains a healthy gut.

15 Jun 2020

Bile duct cancer treatment could be improved by tailored medication

Treatment of patients suffering from bile duct cancer could be improved by tailoring medication to the levels of a key protein in people with the disease, according to new research.

16 Feb 2020

Researchers shed new light on how the brain constructs itself

The cerebral cortex acts as the control center of our cognitive processes. During embryogenesis, dozens of types of neurons with distinct functions come together to form the circuits that drive our thoughts and actions.

29 Aug 2019

Certain cancer drugs induce stem cell plasticity in colorectal cancer

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Mannheim University Medical Center have now discovered that a certain group of cancer drugs (MEK Inhibitors) activates the cancer-promoting Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells.

16 May 2019

Researchers uncover mechanisms that prevent tooth replacement in mice

Most reptiles and fish have multiple sets of teeth during their lifetime. However, most mammals, such as humans, have only one set of replacement teeth and some mammals, like mice, have only a single set with no replacement.

20 Feb 2019

Scientists uncover new information about development of gastric cancer

Cardiff University researchers have uncovered new information about the underlying mechanisms for gastric cancer, providing hope of potential new therapies in the future.

29 Jan 2019

Biologists uncover novel genetic control of lipid maintenance and its potential connection to lifespan

Tiny microscopic worms, invisible to the naked eye, are helping scientists to better understand an extraordinarily complex biological pathway that connects fat to overall health and aging in humans.

14 Nov 2018

Researchers find progenitor cells for all the heart's components, except right ventricle

Progenitor cells - undifferentiated cells that later become specified - for all the heart's components, except for the right ventricle, have been found by Hiroshima University researchers and detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications.

26 Dec 2017

Low levels of miR-29 could reduce susceptibility to cardiac fibrosis

Cardiac fibrosis involves an increase of connective tissue in the cardiac muscle, causing a loss of function. A team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich has now discovered that microRNA 29 (miR-29) plays an important role in the formation of tissue fibrosis.

23 Nov 2017

Psoriasis patients experience widespread bone loss

Researchers from the Genes, Development and Disease Group, headed by Erwin Wagner at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre have discovered that psoriasis patients experience a widespread bone loss as a result of the disease.

17 Mar 2016

New type of drug may help bones heal faster, better

Inspired by amphibians like salamanders, researchers from the University of Southampton are developing a new type of drug that may help bones heal faster and better.

20 Nov 2015