Beta-Catenin Signaling Pathway: Perhaps We Should Start Exploring it for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Healing?

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) remain a common debilitating and costly complication of diabetes mellitus. Indeed, despite all efforts and emerging technologies, many DFUs are difficult to heal and frequently recur. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Specific targeting of different molecular and cellular pathways implicated in wound healing emerges as an attractive therapeutic modality to improve outcomes. One of the novel pathways that carry this potential is the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus integration site family/beta-catenin signaling pathway (WβcSP). It plays an important role in different stages of wound healing, including inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Potential therapeutic implications of WβcSP activation include producing agonists and/or blocking its endogenous inhibitors. Thus, we should perhaps start exploring potential ways of its therapeutic implication to improve DFU healing.