Wnt Signaling Pathway Dysregulation in the Aging Brain: Lessons From the .

Wnt signaling constitutes a fundamental cellular and molecular pathway, necessary from proper embryogenesis to function-maintenance of fully developed complex organisms. In this regard, Wnt pathway plays a crucial role in both the development of the central nervous system and in maintaining the structure and function of the neuronal circuits, and it has been suggested that its dysregulation is critical in the onset of several pathologies including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Due to its relevance in the maintenance of the neuronal activity and its involvement in the outbreak of devastating diseases, we explored the age-related changes in the expression of Wnt key components in the cortex and hippocampus of 7 to 72-months-old (), a Chilean long-living endemic rodent that has been proposed and used as a natural model for AD.