Which way does the Wnt blow? Exploring the duality of canonical Wnt signaling on cellular aging

NA DeCarolis, KA Wharton Jr, AJ Eisch - Bioessays, 2008 - Wiley Online Library
NA DeCarolis, KA Wharton Jr, AJ Eisch
Bioessays, 2008Wiley Online Library
Critical cellular functions, including stem cell maintenance, fate determination, and cellular
behavior, are governed by canonical Wnt signaling, an evolutionarily conserved pathway
whose intracellular signal is transduced by β‐catentin. Emerging evidence suggests that
canonical Wnt signaling influences cellular aging, indicating that increases in Wnt signaling
delay age‐related deficits. 1 However, recent Science papers suggest that Wnt signaling
accelerates the onset of aging. 2, 3 In an attempt to resolve this paradox and clarify how Wnt …
Abstract
Critical cellular functions, including stem cell maintenance, fate determination, and cellular behavior, are governed by canonical Wnt signaling, an evolutionarily conserved pathway whose intracellular signal is transduced by β‐catentin. Emerging evidence suggests that canonical Wnt signaling influences cellular aging, indicating that increases in Wnt signaling delay age‐related deficits.1 However, recent Science papers suggest that Wnt signaling accelerates the onset of aging.2,3 In an attempt to resolve this paradox and clarify how Wnt signaling affects aging, we provide a selective review of research relevant to Wnt signaling and aging. BioEssays 30:102–106, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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