Therapeutic strategies targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling for colorectal cancer (Review)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common carcinomas. Although great progress has been made in recent years, CRC survival remains unsatisfactory due to high metastasis and recurrence. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis has become increasingly important. Recently, aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been reported to be strongly associated with CRC tumorigenesis, metastasis and recurrence. Therefore, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has potential value as a therapeutic target for CRC. In the present review, the dysregulation of this pathway in CRC and the promoting or suppressing function of therapeutic targets on CRC were explored. In addition, the interaction between this pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell stemness, mutations, metastasis-related genes and tumor angiogenesis in CRC cells were also investigated. Numerous studies on this pathway may help identify the potential diagnostic and prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for CRC.