RESUMO
Wnt/β-catenin is an evolutionarily conserved, complex developmental signal pathway that regulates embryogenesis, cell fate, tissue homeostasis, injury repair, and the pathogenesis of human diseases. Mounting evidence demonstrates that Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a key role in early nephrogenesis. It is relatively silent in normal adult kidneys but reactivated in a wide variety of animal models of nephropathies and in human kidney diseases. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin after acute kidney injury contributes to proper repair and regeneration of damaged renal tubules. However, sustained activation of this signal cascade is closely related to the development and progression of fibrotic chronic kidney disease. In this paper, we systematically review the components and mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and its role in kidney repair and fibrosis after injury. A better delineation of the mechanisms of this pathway will provide novel targets and new strategies for designing effective treatment of various kidney diseases.