A rationally designed small molecule inhibitor can specifically
bind with Dishevelled protein, a key modulator in the Wnt signaling pathway that is overexpressed in the majority of lung cancer. This binding blocks the protein-protein interaction between Dishevelled and the Wnt receptor Frizzled protein suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway
in lung cancer, decreasing proliferation and inducing apoptosis. This is the first evidence that a non-peptide small molecule can specifically inhibit Wnt signaling.