Wnt family member 5B (WNT5B)

Wnt family member 5B (WNT5B) is a secreted signaling protein belonging to the Wnt family, structurally related to WNT5A, and is involved in regulating signal transduction pathways that control cell fate, patterning, migration, proliferation, and differentiation, particularly during embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis[4][6]. WNT5B predominantly signals through non-canonical (β-catenin-independent) pathways, often antagonizing canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and binds to several frizzled receptors (including FZD1, FZD2, FZD4, FZD5, FZD6, and FZD7) and possibly co-receptors such as RYK and ROR2[2]. Aberrant WNT5B signaling has been implicated in multiple diseases, including cancer (especially basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer, where it acts as a marker of poor prognosis), bone metabolism disorders (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis), metabolic diseases (obesity, type 2 diabetes), and age-related and developmental pathologies[2][4][5]. While no specific drugs directly targeting WNT5B are clinically approved, it is considered a research target for modulating Wnt pathway activity in cancer and other disease settings.

Other names

Protein Wnt-5bWNT5Bwingless-type MMTV integration site family member 5BWNT-5B protein

Antagonism or modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling; Modulation of frizzled receptor binding; Inhibition or enhancement of non-canonical Wnt signaling; Regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (RYK or ROR2) mediated pathways