A fundamental cell signaling pathway that drives cell growth and stem cell activation — in hair follicles, it’s the primary switch that starts the growth phase.When Wnt ligands bind Frizzled receptors, they stabilize β-catenin (normally targeted for degradation), allowing it to translocate to the nucleus and activate pro-proliferative target genes. In hair follicles, dermal papilla Wnt signaling activates follicle stem cells in the bulge to enter anagen. CXXC5 provides negative feedback by binding Dishevelled (Dvl), preventing β-catenin stabilization. PTD-DBM disrupts this brake specifically, releasing Wnt-driven follicle regeneration. The Wnt pathway is also critical in colorectal cancer (where CTNNB1/β-catenin is constitutively activated by mutations) — a context where the pathway’s growth-promoting role is pathological.Z↑ Top