Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Polymalic Acid-based Nano Biopolymers for Targeting of Multiple Tumor Markers: An Opportunity for Personalized Medicine?
Published on: June 13, 2014
Wnt/β-catenin targeting in liver carcinoma through nanotechnology-based drug repurposing: A review
Priyadarshini Mohapatra1, Natarajan Chandrasekaran1
1Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India.
Abstract:
Liver cancer is the fifth most widespread in the world, with a high fatality rate and poor prognosis.However,surgicalresction,thermal/radiofrequencyablation,chemo/radioembolization and pathway targeting to the cancer cells are all possible options for treating Liver Carcinoma. Unfortunately, once the tumour has developed and spread, diagnosis often occurs too late. The targeted therapy has demonstrated notable, albeit modest, efficacy in some patients with advanced HCC. This demonstrates the necessity of creating additional focused treatments and, in pursuit of this end, the need to find ever-more pathways as prospective targets. Despite the critical need, there are currently no Wnt signalling directed therapy on the research field, only a few methods have progressed beyond the early stage of clinical studies. In the present study, we report that repurposing of drug previously licensed for other diseases is one possible strategy inhibit malignant cell proliferation and renewal by removing individuals protein expression in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Particularly β-catenin complex is present in Liver cancer, where tumour necrosis factor is indispensable for the complex formation and β-catenin interactions are disrupted upon drug in nano-carrier through nanotechnology. This study findings not only highlight that repurposing drug could improve liver cancer treatment outcomes but also focused to character traits and functions of the Wnt signalling cascade's molecular targets and how they could be used to get anti-tumour results method to targeting Wnt/β-catenin in liver carcinoma.
Insights
Repurposing existing drugs via nanotechnology offers a novel strategy to inhibit liver cancer cell growth by targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This approach disrupts key protein interactions, showing promise for improved liver carcinoma treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nanotechnology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally, often diagnosed late with poor prognosis.
- Current treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have limited efficacy, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Targeting specific molecular pathways, like Wnt signaling, presents a promising avenue for developing more effective liver cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of repurposing existing drugs to target the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in liver cancer.
- To explore the use of nanotechnology for drug delivery and disruption of key protein interactions in the Wnt pathway.
- To evaluate the efficacy of this approach in inhibiting malignant cell proliferation and renewal in liver carcinoma.
Main Methods:
- Drug repurposing strategy focusing on inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway components.
- Utilizing nanotechnology for targeted delivery of repurposed drugs via nano-carriers.
- Investigating the disruption of β-catenin complex formation and interactions, particularly in relation to tumor necrosis factor.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that repurposing drugs can inhibit malignant cell proliferation by modulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway protein expression.
- Showcased the disruption of β-catenin complex formation and interactions using nano-carrier delivered drugs.
- Highlighted the critical role of tumor necrosis factor in β-catenin complex formation within liver cancer.
Conclusions:
- Drug repurposing, enhanced by nanotechnology, offers a viable strategy to improve liver cancer treatment outcomes.
- Targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway presents a promising therapeutic approach for liver carcinoma.
- Further research into the molecular targets and functions within the Wnt signaling cascade can yield potent anti-tumor strategies.
Related Concept Videos
02:54Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
01:41Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways