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Molecular changes in the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway are common in gastric cancer

Thang N Tran1, Kate Brettingham-Moore, Cuong P Duong

  • 1Surgical Oncology Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Journal of Surgical Oncology
|July 2, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Molecular alterations in the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway are common in gastric cancer. These frequent PI3K pathway changes suggest it is a viable therapeutic target for treating this disease.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Genetics

Background:

  • The phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is crucial in cellular signaling and frequently dysregulated in various cancers.
  • PI3K inhibitors are emerging as promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.
  • Understanding PI3K pathway alterations in gastric cancer is essential for targeted therapy development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of molecular alterations within the PI3K pathway in human gastric cancer specimens and cell lines.
  • To investigate the prevalence of PIK3CA mutations, copy number gains, and PTEN loss in gastric tumors.
  • To explore potential associations between PI3K pathway alterations and clinical features of gastric cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Screening of 61 gastric cancer specimens and 9 cell lines for PIK3CA mutations using direct sequencing.
  • Assessment of PIK3CA copy number gain via multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).
  • Evaluation of PTEN protein levels using immunohistochemistry.

Main Results:

  • PI3K pathway alterations were identified in 54% (33/61) of gastric tumors.
  • PIK3CA mutations occurred in 4.9% (3/61) and copy number gains in 13.1% (8/61) of samples.
  • PTEN loss was observed in 39% (24/61) of tumors; no significant associations with clinical features were found.

Conclusions:

  • Frequent alterations in the PI3K pathway underscore its significance in gastric tumorigenesis.
  • The PI3K pathway represents a rational and validated therapeutic target for gastric cancer treatment.
Keywords:
PIK3CAPTENgene amplificationmutationtissue microarray

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