Down-Regulation of the Canonical Wnt β-Catenin Pathway in the Airway Epithelium of Healthy Smokers and Smokers with COPD

Smoking down-regulates the Wnt pathway in the human airway epithelium. In the context that Wnt pathway plays an important role in differentiation of epithelial tissues, the down-regulation of Wnt pathway may contribute to the dysregulation of airway epithelium differentiation observed in smoking-related airway disorders.