Dickkopf-1 antagonizes Wnt signaling independent of beta-catenin in human mesothelioma

Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) is a secreted protein that acts as a potent inhibitor of the Wnt signal transduction pathway. It is thought that the antagonistic effect of Dkk-1 is specific to the canonical (Wnt/beta-catenin) pathway. In this study, we demonstrate that restoration of Dkk-1 expression suppresses cell growth and induces apoptotic cell death in beta-catenin-deficient mesothelioma cell lines H28 and MS-1. Furthermore, we found that a small-molecule inhibitor of JNK inhibited the apoptosis induced by Dkk-1 overexpression in these cells. Together, our data suggest that Dkk-1 may be able to antagonize Wnt signaling and exert its tumor suppressive effects through beta-catenin-independent non-canonical pathways (i.e., the Wnt/JNK pathway).