Wnt Signaling and Circular RNAs in Esophageal and Gastric Cancers: Opportunities for Early Detection and Targeted Therapy

Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, frequently caused by oncogenic mutations, plays a crucial role in the development, progression, and therapy resistance of gastric, esophageal, hepatic, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Concurrently, circular RNAs (circRNAs), produced by back-splicin...

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Published inJournal of clinical medicine Vol. 14; no. 13; p. 4805
Main Authors Chmielewski, Piotr Paweł, Strzelec, Bartłomiej, Rudno-Rudzińska, Julia
Format Journal Article Book Review
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 07.07.2025
MDPI
Subjects
Analysis
Antigens
Biology
Biomarkers
Body fluids
Cancer therapies
Care and treatment
Cell growth
Development and progression
Diagnosis
Digestive system
Esophageal cancer
Esophagus
Gastrointestinal cancer
Gene expression
Growth factors
Ligands
Medical prognosis
Metastasis
MicroRNA
MicroRNAs
Oncology
Proteins
Review
Roles
Stomach cancer
Tumorigenesis
Tumors
Wnt proteins
Poland
gastrointestinal cancers
oncogenic signaling networks
precision oncology
Wnt signaling
esophageal and gastric cancer
liquid biopsy biomarkers
circular RNAs (circRNAs)
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Summary:Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, frequently caused by oncogenic mutations, plays a crucial role in the development, progression, and therapy resistance of gastric, esophageal, hepatic, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Concurrently, circular RNAs (circRNAs), produced by back-splicing of precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs), have emerged as critical modulators of this pathway. Accumulating evidence indicates that specific circRNAs regulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling by sponging microRNAs, interacting with RNA-binding proteins, modulating protein function, and altering the expression of pathway components. Some circRNAs are also subject to feedback regulation by Wnt signaling itself. Clinically, tumor-associated circRNAs are present in body fluids and correlate with disease stage, metastatic burden, and patient survival, underscoring their potential as early and minimally invasive biomarkers. Moreover, targeting oncogenic circRNAs has shown promise in preclinical models of Wnt-driven gastrointestinal malignancies. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the interplay between circRNAs and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in gastric and esophageal cancers. We discuss the translational challenges and emerging opportunities for biomarker development and targeted therapy.
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ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm14134805