Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
Online ISSN : 1347-8648
Print ISSN : 1347-8613
ISSN-L : 1347-8613
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Drug Development Targeting the Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β)-Mediated Signal Transduction Pathway:
Inhibitors of the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway as Novel Anticancer Drugs
Fumi Takahashi-YanagaToshiyuki Sasaguri
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2009 Volume 109 Issue 2 Pages 179-183

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Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is often involved in oncogenesis and cancer development. Accordingly, a novel anticancer drug can be developed using inhibitors of this pathway. However, at present, there is no selective inhibitor of this pathway available as a therapeutic agent. Although all the components of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway can be a target for drug development, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), in particular, may be a good target because GSK-3β is an essential component of the pathway, and activation of this kinase results in the inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway. We found that the differentiation-inducing factors (DIFs), putative morphogens for Dictyostelium discoideum, inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via the activation of GSK-3β, resulting in the cell-cycle arrest of human cancer cell lines. In this review, we summarize our recent findings on the antiproliferative effect of DIFs and show the possibility for development of a novel anticancer drug from DIFs and their derivatives.

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© The Japanese Pharmacological Society 2009
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