Wnt signaling in cardiac development and heart diseases

The Wnt signaling pathway is a fundamental cellular communication system with extensive implications in various organs including the heart. In cardiac homeostasis, it governs essential processes like cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, ensuring the heart's structural and functional integrity from embryonic stages and throughout life. Both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways play a critical role during embryonic heart development in a region- and stage-specific manner. Canonical Wnt signaling also plays a significant role in heart diseases such as myocardial infarction and heart failure. However, the role of non-canonical Wnt signaling in heart diseases has not been fully elucidated. Wnt5a is a major ligand that activates non-canonical Wnt pathway, and recent studies start to clarify the role of the Wnt5a signaling axis in cardiac health and disease. In this review, we will briefly summarize the previous findings on the role of Wnt signaling pathways in heart development and diseases, and then focus on the role of Wnt5a signaling in heart failure progression. The multifaceted roles of the Wnt signaling pathway highlight its therapeutic potential for various types of heart diseases.