Targeting the hedgehog pathway to mitigate treatment resistance

'Hedgehog' (HH) molecules are secretory signaling proteins that were first discovered in Drosophila. Three HH homologs have been identified in humans including Sonic hedgehog (SHH), Indian hedgehog (IHH) and Desert hedgehog (DHH). During embryonic development, the Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical, and it regulates both proliferation and differentiation of various types of stem cells.¹ This article provides a brief overview of HH signaling, summarizes the correlation between HH signaling and treatment resistance of cancer cells, and discusses the recent advances in targeting this signaling cascade to overcome treatment resistance with supporting experimental results.