Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 4, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay
08:01

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay

Published on: October 27, 2014

'WNT-er is coming': WNT signalling in chronic lung diseases

H A Baarsma1, M Königshoff1,2

  • 1Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, University Hospital Grosshadern, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany.

Thorax
|April 19, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Wingless/integrase-1 (WNT) signaling pathway alterations are implicated in chronic lung diseases like fibrosis and COPD. This review highlights WNT

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Chronic lung diseases pose significant public health challenges with limited treatments.
  • Identifying molecular targets is crucial for developing novel therapies.
  • Wingless/integrase-1 (WNT) signaling pathways are increasingly recognized in lung disease pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review the role of WNT pathway alterations in chronic lung diseases.
  • To highlight the significance of both canonical and non-canonical WNT signaling.
  • To discuss therapeutic potential and recent clinical advancements.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on WNT signaling in chronic lung diseases.
  • Focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, asthma, and COPD.
  • Emphasis on recent findings regarding non-canonical WNT pathways.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports WNT pathway alterations in various chronic lung pathologies.
  • Both canonical and non-canonical WNT signaling pathways are implicated.
  • WNT signaling plays a role early in life and offers therapeutic targets.

Conclusions:

  • WNT signaling is a key player in the development and progression of chronic lung diseases.
  • Targeting WNT pathways presents a promising therapeutic strategy.
  • Further research into WNT modulation could lead to new treatments for lung conditions.
Keywords:
Airway EpitheliumAsthmaAsthma MechanismsCOPD PharmacologyCOPD ÀÜ MechanismsCytokine BiologyIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

More Related Videos

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways13:00

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Published on: October 16, 2016

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro11:14

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways01:41

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways01:41

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...
Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:22

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma receptor (Eph) and its ligand, Eph receptor-interacting protein (Ephrin) were first discovered in the human carcinoma cell line, hence the name. Ephrin-Eph interaction guides cells to reach their appropriate location in adult tissues. They also play an essential role in the immune system by helping in immune cell migration, adhesion, and activation. Based on their structure and function, Eph is divided into two classes — EphA and EphB.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features01:24

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features

Chronic bronchitis is a key phenotype of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by airway-centered inflammation and mucus overproduction. It develops from long-term exposure to harmful particles or gases, most commonly cigarette smoke, which triggers a persistent inflammatory response.Cellular and Structural ChangesInflammation initially affects the large bronchi and later the smaller airways, with infiltration by immune cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, and...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations01:19

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a long-term condition marked by persistent and only partially reversible airflow limitation. It involves two overlapping conditions—chronic bronchitis and emphysema—which often co-appear but differ in dominant symptoms and underlying mechanisms.Chronic Bronchitis FeaturesChronic bronchitis presents with a persistent productive cough and thick, sometimes purulent mucus due to airway inflammation, enlarged mucus glands, and goblet cell...