A Review of the Relationship between Wnt Signal Transduction Pathway and Endometrial Cancer

Abstract

The incidence of endometrial cancer (EC) has been on the rise in recent years. Advanced EC is associated with poor prognosis in patients. Traditional classification methods for EC do not provide satisfactory diagnosis and treatment. With the rapid advancements in molecular biology, studies have associated multi-omics with signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of EC, which is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Cell signal transduction pathways may lead to the occurrence, development and metastasis of tumors through multiple effectors. The Wnt (Wingless and Int-1) signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling route that is widely present in multicellular eukaryotes. It is involved in determining cell fate, as well as cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and apoptosis during embryonic development, and its target genes are factors involved in cell development, cell proliferation and cell migration. Abnormal signal transduction may lead to abnormalities in cell growth, differentiation, metabolism and biology, resulting in various diseases. The Wnt pathway may be involved in uterine development and endometrial maintenance, and it is associated with estrogen-induced endometrial proliferation. This paper reviews progress in research on the relationship between Wnt signaling pathway and EC.