β-catenin as a key regulator of the cisplatin response in tumor cells

Chemotherapy is one of the most frequent therapeutic options in cancer patients. Cisplatin (CDDP) is widely used as one of the first-line platinum-based drugs in metastatic tumors. However, CDDP resistance is always one of the main therapeutic challenges in cancer patients. Considering the side effects of CDDP in cancer patients, the prediction of CDDP response can improve the management of tumor therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in CDDP resistance in order to predict CDDP response in cancer patients. CDDP resistance is contributed with different cellular processes such as DNA repair, drug efflux, and signaling pathways. WNT/β-catenin pathway has a key role in tumor growth and drug resistance. β-catenin is considered as a key component of the WNT pathway, which can regulate the CDDP response in tumor cells by regulation of WNT target genes. In addition to the WNT pathway, β-catenin can also be regulated by the other signaling pathways. Deregulation of β-catenin is associated with CDDP resistance. Therefore, in the present review, we discussed the role of β-catenin in regulation CDDP response in tumor cells. It has been reported that β-catenin mainly promotes CDDP resistance in various cancers, whose function can be affected by other signaling pathways and transcription factors. This review can be an effective step toward introducing β-catenin as a prognostic marker as well as a therapeutic target in CDDP-resistant cancer patients.