Targeting the hedgehog pathway to mitigate treatment resistance.
'Hedgehog' (HH) molecules are secretory signaling proteins that were first discovered in Drosophila. Three HH homologs have been identified in humans including Sonic hedgehog (SHH), Indian hedgehog (IHH) and Desert hedgehog (DHH). During embryonic development, the Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical, and it regulates both proliferation and differentiation of various types of stem cells.1This article provides a brief overview of HH signaling, summarizes the correlation between HH signaling and treatment resistance of cancer cells, and discusses the recent advances in targeting this signaling cascade to overcome treatment resistance with supporting experimental results.
Department of Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Yu-Jen
YJ
Chen
Jennifer
J
Sims-Mourtada
Julie
J
Izzo
K S Clifford
KS
Chao
D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004351:Drug Resistance; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1