Bone Morphogenetic Protein Antagonist Noggin Promotes Skin Tumorigenesis Via Stimulation Of The Wnt And Shh Signaling Pathways

The study investigated the role of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonist noggin in skin tumorigenesis using transgenic mice, which developed hair follicle-derived tumors resembling human trichofolliculoma. Noggin overexpression led to abnormal activation of the Wnt and Shh signaling pathways, crucial for tumor initiation and progression. Pharmacological inhibition of these pathways resulted in stage-dependent tumor suppression. BMP signaling was shown to suppress tumor formation by stimulating the expression of Wnt inhibitory factor-1, indicating a tumor-suppressive role in skin epithelium. The findings suggested that BMP antagonists like noggin could compromise BMP's tumor suppressor function, affecting tumor development in the skin and potentially other organs.