Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment
11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

2.3K

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast cancer: targets, trials and biomarkers

Elisavet Paplomata1, Ruth O'Regan2

  • 1Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology
|July 25, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway shows promise for overcoming endocrine resistance in breast cancer. Identifying specific tumor subtypes and using combination therapies are key to improving treatment efficacy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is crucial for cell growth and tumor proliferation.
  • This pathway significantly contributes to endocrine resistance in breast cancer, a highly heterogeneous malignancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.
  • To evaluate the potential of targeting this pathway with novel therapeutic agents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of ongoing clinical trials evaluating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors.
  • Analysis of resistance mechanisms, including activation of KRAS and MEK pathways.
  • Examination of potential biomarkers, such as PIK3CA mutations.

Main Results:

  • Compounds targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are well-tolerated and suitable for combination therapies.
  • Activation of alternative pathways like KRAS and MEK can lead to therapeutic resistance.
  • PIK3CA mutations may indicate sensitivity to PI3K pathway inhibitors, though further validation is needed.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is a promising strategy for endocrine-resistant breast cancer.
  • Combination therapies and identification of predictive biomarkers are essential for optimizing treatment outcomes.
  • Large clinical trials with correlative studies are necessary to establish reliable biomarkers of efficacy.
Keywords:
AktPIK3CAbreast cancerendocrine resistanceeverolimusmammalian (or mechanistic) target of rapamycinphosphatase and tensin homologphosphoinositide 3 kinase

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Transmembrane Protein Family-Related Markers in Gastric Cancer and Implications for Targeted Therapies07:47

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Transmembrane Protein Family-Related Markers in Gastric Cancer and Implications for Targeted Therapies

Published on: September 15, 2023

2.2K
Utilizing 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Quantitative Histology to Measure Dynamic Changes in the Glucose Metabolism in Mouse Models of Lung Cancer06:51

Utilizing 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Quantitative Histology to Measure Dynamic Changes in the Glucose Metabolism in Mouse Models of Lung Cancer

Published on: July 21, 2018

18.9K

Related Concept Videos

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a...
5.1K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.6K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

1.5K
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
10.1K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
4.6K
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
7.3K