Wnt Signaling in Leukemia and Its Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Yongsheng Ruan, Hye Na Kim, Heather Ogana, Yong‐Mi Kim
Abstract
Leukemia is an aggressive hematologic neoplastic disease. Therapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs) may contribute to the relapse of the disease. LSCs are thought to be protected in the leukemia microenvironment, mainly consisting of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), endothelial cells, and osteoblasts. Canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways play a critical role in the maintenance of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and LSCs. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the role of Wnt signaling in leukemia and its microenvironment and provide information on the currently available strategies for targeting Wnt signaling.
Topics & Concepts
Wnt signaling pathwayLeukemiaStem cellHaematopoiesisStromal cellCancer researchBone marrowMesenchymal stem cellBiologyTumor microenvironmentImmunologyCell biologySignal transductionTumor cellsWnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancerNeonatal Respiratory Health ResearchChildhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life