The roles of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in tissue development and regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is a translational field which combines tissue engineering and
molecular biology to construct spare organs or help injured or defective tissues to
regenerate or restore their normal functions. This is particularly important with specific
organs such as heart, central nervous system, retina, or limbs which possess very
limited regenerative capacity. As such, regenerative medicine has received peculiar
attention in the last decade. In this regard, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been
subject to intensive research, since it plays many essential roles in the regulation of
the progenitor cell fate, developmental decisions, proliferation during embryonic
development, and adult tissue homeostasis. In this paper, we will briefly introduce
Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and discuss how it integrally contributes to both
stem and cancer stem cell maintenance. Finally, we summarize the current
understanding of the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the development and
regeneration of heart, lung, liver, bone, and cartilage