Cells of the tumor microenvironment speak the Wnt language

Vladimir L Katanaev; Alexey Baldin; Tatiana V Denisenko; Denis N Silachev; Anna E Ivanova; Gennadiy T Sukhikh; Lee Jia; Lev A Ashrafyan

doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2023.03.006

Cells of the tumor microenvironment speak the Wnt language

Trends Mol Med. 2023 Jun;29(6):468-480. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.03.006. Epub 2023 Apr 10.

Authors

Vladimir L Katanaev¹, Alexey Baldin², Tatiana V Denisenko³, Denis N Silachev⁴, Anna E Ivanova³, Gennadiy T Sukhikh³, Lee Jia⁵, Lev A Ashrafyan³

Affiliations

¹ Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, 690090 Vladivostok, Russia; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China. Electronic address: vladimir.katanaev@unige.ch.
² Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, 4 Akademika Oparina Str., Moscow 117997, Russia.
³ Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, 4 Akademika Oparina Str., Moscow 117997, Russia.
⁴ Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, 4 Akademika Oparina Str., Moscow 117997, Russia; Department of Functional Biochemistry of Biopolymers, A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
⁵ College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.

PMID: 37045723
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.03.006

Abstract

Wnt signaling plays numerous functions in cancer, from primary transformation and tumor growth to metastasis. In addition to these cancer cell-intrinsic functions, Wnt signaling emerges to critically control cross-communication among cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we summarize the evidence that not only multiple cancer cell types, but also cells constituting the TME 'speak the Wnt language'. Fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelia, and lymphocytes all use the Wnt language to convey messages to and from cancer cells and among themselves; these messages are important for tumor progression and fate. Decoding this language will advance our understanding of tumor biology and unveil novel therapeutic avenues.

Keywords: Wnt; drug discovery; fibroblasts; immune cells; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Language
Macrophages / metabolism
Neoplasms* / pathology
Tumor Microenvironment*
Wnt Signaling Pathway