The Key Role of Canonical Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Cartilage Chondrocytes

Articular cartilage is a physiologically non-self-renewing avascular tissue with a unique cell type, the chondrocyte, which functions as producing and maintaining the extracellular matrix of cartilage. Cartilage differentiation and maintenance of homeostasis are finely tuned by a complex network of signaling molecules. The network sheds light on these mechanisms that appear to be highly relevant to both the identification of pathogenic key factors, and the development of biological approaches for cartilage regeneration. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been recognized as a key regulator of development and homeostasis in bone, cartilage, and joint. It plays important roles in many biological processes, including the condensation and differentiation of mesenchymal cells, the maintenance of mature articular cartilage phenotype, the hypertrophic maturation in the process of endochondral ossification, and tissue degeneration and regeneration. With regard to the importance of Wnt signaling pathways in regulating chondrocytes physiological and pathological activities, this article reviews the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in chondrogenesis, chondrocytes development, degeneration, and the inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.