Silencing of Wwox Increases Nuclear Import of Dvl proteins in Head and Neck Cancer

Background: Wnt signaling pathway is associated with a variety of human cancers, including HNSCC. Wnt proteins control cellular events such as proliferation, fate specification, polarity, and migration by transducing signals to the nucleus through several cytoplasmic relay proteins. Although activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is a frequent event in various cancers, there is limited knowledge on the contribution of this signaling mechanism in HNSCC. The Wwox tumor suppressor protein participates in the regulation of Wnt signaling by interacting with Dvl proteins.