Targeting the Wnt signalling pathway: the challenge of reducing scarring without affecting repair.

This article seeks to shed light on the dualistic role of Wnt signalling in liver regeneration following injury and how Wnt signalling can regulate scar formation. It also discusses how Wnt signalling cooperates with other classical fibrogenic signalling cascades, such as TGFβ signalling. Finally, the article examines recent advances in the development of Wnt signalling pathway inhibitors and asks whether repurposing these agents as anti-fibrotic therapies is a realistic option.Expert Opinion: The understanding of Wnt signalling in liver regeneration and fibrosis is in its infancy and whilst new generations of Wnt pathway inhibitors have shown anti-fibrotic effects, further research is necessary to enhance our understanding of the Wnt-landscape in different patterns of liver disease. This will accelerate the development of more specific Wnt inhibitor-based anti-fibrotics. PMID: 31948298 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Investig Drugs Source Type: research