Autocrine signaling

Autocrine signaling is a form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger (called the autocrine agent) that binds to autocrine receptors on that same cell, leading to changes in the cell.

An example of an autocrine agent is the cytokine interleukin-1 in monocytes (see Interleukin). When interleukin-1 is produced in response to external stimuli, it can bind to cell-surface receptors on the same cell that produced it (see Interleukin receptors).

Normally, the Wnt signaling pathway leads to stabilization of β-catenin through inactivation of a protein complex containing the tumor suppressors Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and Axin.