Wnt Signaling: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cellular maintenance and development are two fundamental mechanisms regulated by the canonical Wnt signalingpathway. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway controls a myriad of cellular processes that are essential for normal cellfunctioning. Cell cycle progression, differentiation, fate determination, and migration are generally orchestrated bycanonical Wnt signaling. Altered Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has been considered a promoting event for different typesof cancers and the oncogenic potential of Wnt signaling have been discussed in many cancer types, including breast,colon, pancreatic as well as head and neck. Furthermore, Wnt signaling is critical for the maintenance and stemnessof both the normal as well as cancer stem cells. This review sheds new light on Wnt signaling and explains how it canregulate normal physiological processes and curtail the development of cancer. It depicts the vital functions of Wntsignaling in the stem cell growth and differentiation by focusing on current druggable targets that have been ascribedby recent studies. Thus, Wnt signaling pathway retains a tremendous potential in eradicating head and neck squamouscell carcinoma.