Wnt signaling pathway activating non-coding RNA (WSPAR)

Wnt signaling pathway activating non-coding RNA (WSPAR, also called lncTCF7, among other aliases) is a long non-coding RNA that promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, often by regulating the expression or enhancer activity of TCF7—a major transcription factor in Wnt signaling. WSPAR/lncTCF7 is involved in maintaining stemness features in certain cell types, including cancer cells, and exercises regulatory control over gene expression both at the chromatin and transcriptional level. While not a traditional protein receptor or enzyme, WSPAR is increasingly considered a non-traditional therapeutic target due to its pivotal regulatory role in disease and stem cell biology. The exact molecular mechanism, druggability, and disease roles remain an area of ongoing research. Although WSPAR is best characterized in oncology contexts, its full biological and clinical significance is still being explored.

Other names

TCONS_00009511-XLOC_004555lncTCF7LncTCF7TCONS_00009511

Regulation of transcriptional complexes in the Wnt pathway; Molecular scaffolding for chromatin modification; Modulation of neighboring and distant gene expression via cis and trans mechanisms