Hedgehog signaling can create new hair follicles in adult skin but may increase cancer risk.
Vismodegib effectively treats advanced basal cell carcinoma but requires careful management of serious side effects.
105 citations
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April 2014 in “Trends in Pharmacological Sciences” Targeting the Smoothened receptor shows promise for treating certain cancers.
16 citations
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March 2015 in “Clinical Cancer Research” The document concludes that side effects from Smoothened inhibitor drugs for skin cancer are reversible and can be managed with a team approach to maintain quality of life.
72 citations
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November 2017 in “Journal of developmental biology” The Hedgehog signaling pathway is important for skin and hair growth and can lead to cancer if it doesn't work right.