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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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WNT5B
Wnt family member 5B
Chromosome 12 · 12p13.33
NCBI Gene: 81029Ensembl: ENSG00000111186.14HGNC: HGNC:16265UniProt: Q9H1J7
55PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of cell migrationchondrocyte differentiationextracellular exosomeextracellular matrixHodgkins lymphomaovarian neoplasmventricular fibrillationmelanoma
✦AI Summary

WNT5B is a secreted signaling ligand that activates frizzled family receptors to regulate both canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways 1. The protein functions as a developmental signaling molecule affecting tissue region specification and cell differentiation, including roles in chondrocyte, muscle, and neuron development [UniProt]. WNT5B is a β-catenin-independent ligand 2 that primarily signals through the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway via FZD3-DVL3-RAC1-JNK activation 3. Clinically, WNT5B expression correlates with malignancy across multiple cancer types. In osteosarcoma, WNT5B is the most abundant Wnt ligand and drives cancer stem cell expansion, methotrexate chemoresistance, and lung/liver metastasis through SOX2 induction and HYAL1-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling 4. In non-small cell lung cancer, WNT5B overexpression associates with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis, promoting malignant phenotype via FZD3-DVL3-RAC1-PCP-JNK signaling 3. In colorectal cancer, KRAS-driven TFCP2 transcription factor upregulates WNT5B to transform carcinoma-associated fibroblasts into lipid-laden cells that produce tumor-promoting VEGFA 5. However, in non-malignant contexts, WNT5B carried by exosomes activates alternative Wnt-YAP signaling to enhance chondrocyte proliferation and migration 6, suggesting context-dependent functional roles in tissue regeneration versus malignant progression.

Sources cited
1
WNT5B is a secreted signaling ligand that activates frizzled family receptors to regulate both canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways .
PMID: 31285641
2
WNT5B is a β-catenin-independent ligand that primarily signals through the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway via FZD3-DVL3-RAC1-JNK activation .
PMID: 39102216
3
WNT5B is a β-catenin-independent ligand that primarily signals through the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway via FZD3-DVL3-RAC1-JNK activation .
PMID: 39094673
4
In osteosarcoma, WNT5B is the most abundant Wnt ligand and drives cancer stem cell expansion, methotrexate chemoresistance, and lung/liver metastasis through SOX2 induction and HYAL1-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling .
PMID: 38689429
5
In colorectal cancer, KRAS-driven TFCP2 transcription factor upregulates WNT5B to transform carcinoma-associated fibroblasts into lipid-laden cells that produce tumor-promoting VEGFA .
PMID: 37768068
6
However, in non-malignant contexts, WNT5B carried by exosomes activates alternative Wnt-YAP signaling to enhance chondrocyte proliferation and migration , suggesting context-dependent functional roles in tissue regeneration versus malignant progression.
PMID: 28042326
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Hodgkins lymphomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
ovarian neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
ventricular fibrillationOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
melanomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
osteitis deformansOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Huntington diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
head and neck squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Gorham-Stout diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteoporosisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
response to statinOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
12q14 microdeletion syndromeOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
pyknoachondrogenesisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
melorheostosisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
bone diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
postmenopausal osteoporosisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
CachexiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
DVL1Protein interaction99%DVL3Protein interaction99%NOTUMProtein interaction94%RYKProtein interaction92%WIF1Protein interaction92%DKK1Protein interaction92%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Liver
35%
Lung
33%
Brain
24%
Heart
22%
Bone Marrow
12%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
WNT5BDVL1DVL3NOTUMRYKWIF1DKK1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9H1J7
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.74LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.01Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.50 [0.34–0.74]
RankingsWhere WNT5B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #8,269of 20,598
    Most Researched55
  • #5,807of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.74
Genes detectedWNT5B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Oncogenic KRAS Drives Lipofibrogenesis to Promote Angiogenesis and Colon Cancer Progression.
PMID: 37768068
Cancer Discov · 2023
1.00
2
WNT5B drives osteosarcoma stemness, chemoresistance and metastasis.
PMID: 38689429
Clin Transl Med · 2024
0.90
3
Targeting WNT5B and WNT10B in osteosarcoma.
PMID: 39102216
Oncotarget · 2024
0.80
4
WNT5B promotes the malignant phenotype of non-small cell lung cancer via the FZD3-DVL3-RAC1-PCP-JNK pathway.
PMID: 39094673
Cell Signal · 2024
0.70
5
Exosomes derived from miR-140-5p-overexpressing human synovial mesenchymal stem cells enhance cartilage tissue regeneration and prevent osteoarthritis of the knee in a rat model.
PMID: 28042326
Theranostics · 2017
0.60