Analysis of the Wnt5b Signaling Pathway to Identify Novel Therapeutics for Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are aggressive tumors in pediatric neuro-oncology that need new therapeutic strategies since they have a worse prognosis than other pediatric tumors. A characteristic feature of most AT/RTs is an aberration of SMARCB1 gene. The SMARCB1 protein is a component of the mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, although its role in malignancies is unclear. Wnt proteins are a family of 19 secreted glycoproteins and act as ligands with crucial roles in the regulation of diverse cellular processes. Perturbation of Wnt proteins can result in embryonic development defects and diseases such as cancer.