Hedgehog signaling pathway as a potential target in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

The sonic hedgehog signaling pathway is critical for cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and organ development during embryogenesis. Aberrant activation of the sonic hedgehog pathway has been associated with a variety of human cancers. Currently, there is no target molecular drug that clinically affects sonic hedgehog activation in patients with gastric cancer. In this review, we will focus on the current clinical treatment options for advanced gastric cancer and discuss the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway. We also review our understanding of the role of sonic hedgehog signaling in advanced gastric cancer progression. Finally, we will describe current known molecular pathways that crosstalk with the sonic hedgehog pathway in cancer stem cells.