Exploiting the PI3K/AKT pathway for cancer drug discovery

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Utilizing Functional Genomics Screening to Identify Potentially Novel Drug Targets in Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures
07:48

Utilizing Functional Genomics Screening to Identify Potentially Novel Drug Targets in Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures

Published on: December 26, 2016

Bryan T Hennessy1, Debra L Smith, Prahlad T Ram

  • 1Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery
|December 13, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Targeted therapies are more effective in cancer patients with specific genomic alterations. The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway is frequently altered, making it a promising target for new cancer drug discovery.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Targeted therapeutic agents show increased efficacy in patients with specific genomic alterations.
  • Genomic alterations include amplification, translocation, and mutation of therapeutic targets.
  • These alterations predict a higher likelihood of patient response to targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significance of genomic alterations in predicting therapeutic response.
  • To identify frequently altered molecular pathways in cancer.
  • To propose the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway as a key target for cancer drug discovery.

Main Methods:

  • Review of evolving studies on targeted therapeutic agents.
  • Analysis of recent studies on molecular pathway alterations in cancer patients.
  • Identification of frequently mutated, amplified, or translocated pathways.

Main Results:

  • Genomic alterations in therapeutic targets correlate with improved treatment response.
  • The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway exhibits frequent alterations (amplification, mutation, translocation) compared to other pathways.
  • These alterations lead to the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Conclusions:

  • The PI3K/AKT pathway's frequent alterations present a significant opportunity for cancer therapy.
  • Exploiting the PI3K/AKT pathway is a rational strategy for developing novel cancer drugs.
  • Targeted therapies informed by genomic profiling offer improved patient outcomes.

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