Therapeutic implications of sonic hedgehog pathway in metabolic disorders: Novel target for effective treatment

Hedgehog, a developmental morphogen, and its downstream signalling have recently been associated with metabolic control. Sonic hedgehog signalling (Shh) is a significant pathway that regulates various events during the growth and development of embryos. The dysregulation of the Shh pathway has been implicated in many physiological and pathological processes, including adipocyte differentiation, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Researchers have proved that pharmacological modulation of the Shh pathway might help to improve better outcomes in metabolic disorders. A systemic review was conducted through various search engines to understand the molecular nature of Shh Pathway in Metabolic Disorders and its therapeutic implication in the future. However, we could find that by studying the crosstalk between various pathways, such as Wnt/ β-catenin, TGF (transforming growth factor β), mTOR, and notch with Sonic hedgehog, a close link between the pathogenesis of different metabolic disorders. Understanding the importance of these molecular interlinking networks will provide a rational basis that influences its activity. This article discusses the changes and modifications that happen due to up-or down-regulation of various transcription factors in the Shh pathway. The study attempts to provide a complete overview of the main signalling events involved with canonical and non-canonical Hedgehog signalling and the increasingly complicated regulatory modalities related to Hedgehog for regulating metabolism. Further, it investigates the possible approaches needed to treat metabolic disorders for better results.