Among the four different medulloblastoma subgroups described to date, the sonic hedgehog (SHH) genetic pathway is the pathway activated in the tumorigenesis of medulloblastoma.
This study reveals several novel individual and repetitive mutations of shh gene in GBC and cholelithiasis samples that may be used as diagnostic markers for gallbladder carcinogenesis.
Low-penetrance susceptibility alleles, as well as genetic alterations in signaling pathways, namely SHH pathway, also contribute to the carcinogenesis.
Among the major intracellular signaling pathways, WNT, SHH, and NOTCH are known to be important in regulating normal stem cell activities, and their alterations are associated with tumorigenesis.