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Updated: Oct 22, 2025

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
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An Overview of Potential Therapeutic Agents Targeting WNT/PCP Signaling

Jin Wang1, Di Feng1, Bo Gao2

  • 1School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology
|August 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

WNT/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling regulates cell behavior during development and in disease. This review discusses WNT/PCP pathways and explores potential therapeutic drugs and inhibitors for targeting this signaling.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • WNT signaling pathways are crucial for multicellular organism development and physiology.
  • Canonical WNT/β-catenin signaling involves β-catenin stabilization and translocation.
  • WNT/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling, a β-catenin-independent pathway, directs cell polarization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the roles of WNT/PCP signaling in development and disease.
  • To summarize existing drugs and inhibitors targeting WNT/PCP signaling.
  • To highlight the largely unexplored therapeutic potential of targeting WNT/PCP signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of WNT/PCP signaling.
  • Analysis of WNT/PCP roles in developmental processes.
  • Summary of WNT/PCP involvement in various cancers and diseases.

Main Results:

  • WNT/PCP signaling disruption is linked to developmental defects and cancers.
  • Pharmacological targeting of WNT/PCP signaling remains an underexplored therapeutic avenue.
  • Existing drugs and inhibitors targeting WNT/PCP pathways are summarized.

Conclusions:

  • WNT/PCP signaling is vital for coordinating polarized cell behaviors.
  • Aberrant WNT/PCP signaling contributes to disease pathogenesis.
  • Further research into WNT/PCP targeting offers therapeutic promise.
Keywords:
InhibitorPCPPlanar cell polarityWNTWNT/PCP

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