title: The sonic hedgehog-GLI1 signaling pathway in brain tumor development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway is a regulatory network involved in development and cancer. Proteins like Ptch, SMO, and Gli are central to the Shh pathway. Other proteins like HHIP, SUFU, Bmi-1, Cyclin D2, Plakoglobin, PAX6, Nkx2.2, and SFRP1 are not so well understood in Shh regulation as Gli-1 downstream target genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review we try to explain the Shh pathway components and their role in development and cancer, mainly of the brain. A summary of each of the proteins is presented together with an overview of their involvement in cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genetic alterations of the Shh pathway have been detected in cancer stem cells, a subgroup of tumor cells implicated in the origin and maintenance of tumors, being responsible for cancer recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. Cancer stem cells constitute a novel target for biomedical researchers. Specifically, the Shh pathway is being explored as a new opportunity for targeted therapies against tumors. Therefore, a better knowledge of every of the regulators of the Shh pathway is needed.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Department of Pharmacology, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Mehdi H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shahi
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: Javier S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Castresana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
chemical_list: C400551:GLI1 protein, human; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C000715631:NKX2-2 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1