Abstract: β-catenin is mainly involved in Wnt signaling pathway and E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Abberant β-catenin expression occurrs in most human malignancies. Recent studies demonstrated that deregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was related to the pathogenesis of ovarian neoplasms. Meanwhile, alteration of E-cadherin/β-catenin complex plays a significant role in the invasiveness and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, the establishment of mouse models confirmed β-catenin′s role in the development of ovarian tumors. This review will summarize the new discoveries on β-catenin in ovarian neoplasms.

Key words: β-catenin, Ovarian neoplasms, E-cadherin, Wnt