Celebrating 30 years of Wnt signaling

Wnt signal transduction is crucial for embryonic development and tissue homeostasis in multicellular animals. Hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway drives tumor formation, yet activation of the Wnt pathway in stem cells holds great promise for injury repair and regeneration. Between 27 June and 1 July 2012, scientists from all over the globe gathered in the beachfront town of Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this blossoming and exciting field. The latest advances and breakthroughs were discussed at the aptly named European Molecular Biology Organization conference 30 Years of Wnt Signalling. Many presenters discussed unpublished data, a hallmark of past and hopefully future Wnt meetings. This Meeting Report summarizes some of the highlights of this conference, including the presentation of the long-awaited crystal structure of a Wnt protein bound to its receptor and the identification of exciting new possibilities for targeting the pathway in treating disease.