Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
Published on: December 10, 2021
Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in oral tissue development and disease
1Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Scott & White Hospital, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Temple, TX 76502, USA.
Abstract:
The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is one of several key conserved intercellular signaling pathways in animals, and plays fundamental roles in the proliferation, regeneration, differentiation, and function of many cell and tissue types. This pathway is activated in a dynamic manner during the morphogenesis of oral organs, including teeth, taste papillae, and taste buds, and is essential for these processes to occur normally. Conversely, forced activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling promotes the formation of ectopic teeth and taste papillae. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the roles of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in oral tissue development and in related human diseases, and the potential of manipulating this pathway for therapeutic purposes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Catenins
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
