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Published on: August 25, 2023
Potential therapeutic targets for chordoma: PI3K/AKT/TSC1/TSC2/mTOR pathway
N Presneau1, A Shalaby, B Idowu
1UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Chordomas are resistant tumors. This study found that 65% of chordomas may respond to mTOR inhibitors and AKT inhibitors, offering new treatment strategies for this rare cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Chordomas are rare, radio- and chemo-resistant tumors with a high metastatic potential.
- The PI3K/AKT/TSC1/TSC2/mTOR pathway is implicated in various cancers and presents a potential therapeutic target.
- Tuberous sclerosis complex syndrome shares molecular links with chordoma, suggesting pathway involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify molecular targets for chordoma treatment.
- To investigate the expression of key molecules within the PI3K/AKT/TSC1/TSC2/mTOR pathway in chordoma tissues.
- To assess the potential of targeting this pathway for chordoma therapy.
Main Methods:
- Tissue microarray analysis of 50 chordoma cases using immunohistochemistry.
- Western blot analysis for selected cases to confirm protein expression.
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to analyze gene copy numbers for mTOR, RPS6, TSC1, and TSC2.
- Mutation analysis of PI3KCA and RHEB1 genes.
Main Results:
- High expression of activated AKT (p-AKT), TSC2 (p-TSC2), and eIF-4E was observed in chordoma tissues.
- Significant percentages of tumors showed activation of the mTOR pathway (p-mTOR, p-p70S6K).
- Loss of one copy of mTOR and RPS6 genes was detected in a subset of tumors, correlating with protein loss.
Conclusions:
- The PI3K/AKT/TSC1/TSC2/mTOR pathway is frequently activated in chordomas.
- Approximately 65% of studied chordomas may be sensitive to mTOR inhibitors (e.g., rapamycin) and AKT inhibitors.
- Combined therapeutic strategies targeting both AKT and mTOR pathways show promise for chordoma treatment.
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