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Recent development in targeting PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling for anticancer therapeutic strategies

Asif Khurshid Qazi, Aashiq Hussain, Abid Hamid

  • 1Cancer Pharmacology Division, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Medicine (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Canal Road, Jammu-Tawi 180001, India. ahdar@iiim.ac.in.

Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
|February 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

This review explores the Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, crucial in cancer. Targeting this pathway with small molecule inhibitors offers potential for novel cancer prevention and chemotherapy strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cancer's diverse nature stems from aberrant oncogenic signaling pathways.
  • The Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway regulates critical cellular functions like proliferation, survival, and metabolism.
  • Dysregulation of the PI3K pathway, through gene amplification or mutation, is prevalent across various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structural characteristics of PI3K isoforms, Akt, and mTOR.
  • To examine the inhibition of these key pathway components using small molecule inhibitors.
  • To assess the potential of targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway for cancer prevention and chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on PI3K isoforms, Akt, and mTOR.
  • Analysis of small molecule inhibitors targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
  • Synthesis of information on pathway dysregulation in cancer.

Main Results:

  • The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is frequently dysregulated in cancer due to genetic alterations.
  • Specific small molecule inhibitors targeting PI3K, Akt, and mTOR have been developed.
  • These inhibitors demonstrate potential for modulating cancer cell behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway represents a significant target for anti-cancer drug development.
  • Targeted inhibition of this pathway holds promise for future cancer prevention and chemotherapy interventions.
  • Further research into structural features and inhibitor efficacy is warranted.

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