Hedgehog pathway

The developmental proteins Hedgehog, Notch and Wnt are key regulators of cell fate, proliferation, migration and differentiation in several tissues. Their related signaling pathways are frequently activated in tumors, and particularly in the rare subpopulation of cancer stem cells. The Wnt signaling pathway is a conserved pathway in animals. Deregulated Wnt signaling has catastrophic consequences for the developing embryo and it is now well appreciated that defective Wnt signaling is a causative factor for a number of pleiotropic human pathologies, including cancer. Hedgehog signaling pathway is linked to tumorigenesis and is aberrantly activated in a variety of cancers. The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved cell signaling system present in most animals. It plays an important role in cell-cell communication, and further regulates embryonic development.

MCE designs a unique collection of 377 Wnt/Hedgehog/Notch signaling pathway-related small molecules. Wnt/Hedgehog/Notch Compound Library serves as a useful tool for stem cell research and anti-cancer drug screening.

Adult stem cells are important for tissue homeostasis and regeneration due to their ability to self-renew and generate multiple types of differentiated daughters. Self-renewal is reflected by their capacity to undergo multiple/limitless divisions. Several signaling pathways are involved in self-renewal of stem cells, that is, Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog pathways or Polycomb family proteins. Recent studies mainly focus on cancer stem cell (CSCs), induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs), neural stem cell and maintenance of embryonic stem cell pluripotency. Among them, CSCs have been believed to be responsible for tumor initiation, growth, and recurrence that have implications for cancer therapy.

MCE owns a unique collection of 1,870 compounds that can be used for stem cell regulatory and signaling pathway research.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality amongst world’s population, in which prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most encountered malignancies among men. Several molecular mechanisms are involved in prostate cancer development and progression. These include common survival factors in prostate cancer (IGF-1), growth factors (TGF-α, EGF), Wnt, Hedgehog, NF-κB, and mTOR and other signaling pathways. These provide potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer treatment.

MCE offers a unique collection of 2,400 compounds with identified and potential anti-prostate cancer activity. MCE Anti-Prostate Cancer Compound Library is a useful tool for anti-prostate cancer drugs screening and other related research.

Techniques for reprogramming somatic cells create new opportunities for drug screening, disease modeling, artificial organ development, and cell therapy. The development of reprogramming techniques has grown exponentially since Yamanaka reprogrammed somatic cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using four transcription factors, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC in 2006. Despite the development of efficient reprogramming methods, most methods are inappropriate for clinical applications because they carry the risk of integrating exogenous genetic factors or use oncogenes. Alternative approaches, such as those based on miRNA, non-viral genes, non-integrative vectors, and small molecules, have been studied as possible solutions to the problems. Among these alternatives, small molecules are attractive options for clinical applications. Reprogramming using small molecules is inexpensive and easy to control in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. It offers a high level of cell permeability, ease of synthesis and standardization, and it is appropriate for mass-producing cells.

MCE Reprogramming Compound Library contains a unique collection of 2,182 compounds that act on reprogramming signaling pathways. These compounds are potential stimulators for reprogramming. This library is a useful tool for researching reprogramming and regenerative medicine.

Stem cells, which are found in all multi-cellular organisms, can divide and differentiate into diverse special cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells. To be useful in therapy, stem cells must be converted into desired cell types as necessary which is called induced differentiation or directed differentiation. Understanding and using signaling pathways for differentiation is an important method in successful regenerative medicine. Small molecules or growth factors induce the conversion of stem cells into appropriate progenitor cells, which will later give rise to the desired cell type. There is a variety of signal molecules and molecular families that may affect the establishment of germ layers in vivo, such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs); the wnt family or superfamily of transforming growth factors β (TGFβ) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP). Unfortunately, for now, a high cost of recombinant factors is likely to limit their use on a larger scale in medicine. The more promising technique focuses on the use of small molecules. These small molecules can be used for either activating or deactivating specific signaling pathways. They enhance reprogramming efficiency by creating cells that are compatible with the desired type of tissue. It is a cheaper and non-immunogenic method.

MCE Differentiation Inducing Compound Library contains a unique collection of 1,513 compounds that act on signaling pathways for differentiation. These compounds are potential stimulators for induced differentiation. This library is a useful tool for researching directed differentiation and regenerative medicine.