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Abstract
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Signaling pathways form intricate networks that govern essential cellular processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and tissue homeostasis. These pathways enable intercellular and intracellular communication through molecular mediators such as proteins and genes. Among the highly conserved signaling pathways, such as Notch, Hedgehog, TGF-β/BMP, and Hippo, Wnt signaling plays a pivotal role in embryonic development, stem cell proliferation, self-renewal, and tissue regeneration. This pathway, governed by the Wnt gene family, operates through canonical (β-catenin-dependent) and non-canonical (β-catenin-independent) mechanisms. Both canonical and non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathways regulate a wide range of normal and pathological biological processes. Wnt proteins act as secreted morphogens and are pivotal in embryonic development, stem cell function, tissue repair, fate determination, and adult tissue remodeling. However, dysregulation of Wnt signaling has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. This chapter explores different facets of this biological pathway across various stem cell types, including embryonic, hematopoietic, mesenchymal, induced pluripotent, epidermal, and cancer stem cells. It examines the pathway’s functional roles, gene expression dynamics, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks through an in silico approach. Moreover, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a focal point in clinical contexts, stem cell therapy, and regenerative medicine, a topic to be addressed herein.
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