Molecular pathways: novel approaches for improved therapeutic targeting of Hedgehog signaling in cancer stem cells.

ABSTRACT: The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is critical for embryonic development. In adult tissues, Hh signaling is relatively quiescent with the exception of roles in tissue maintenance and repair. Aberrant activation of Hh signaling is implicated in multiple aspects of transformation, including the maintenance of the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype. Preclinical studies indicate that CSCs from many tumor types are sensitive to Hh pathway inhibition and that Hh-targeted therapeutics block many aspects of transformation attributed to CSCs, including drug resistance, relapse, and metastasis. However, to date, Hh inhibitors, specifically those targeting Smoothened [such as vismodegib, BMS-833923, saridegib (IPI-926), sonidegib/erismodegib (LDE225), PF-04449913, LY2940680, LEQ 506, and TAK-441], hav

SUBMITTER: Justilien V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4316382 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature