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PI3K/AKT Pathway and Its Mediators in Thyroid Carcinomas

Zahra Nozhat1,2, Mehdi Hedayati3

  • 1Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy
|November 25, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Thyroid cancer involves the PI3K-PKB/AKT pathway, crucial for cell growth. Targeting this pathway, particularly mTOR, shows promise, with future strategies exploring FOXOs and PTEN for enhanced treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Thyroid malignancies are common endocrine carcinomas with diverse histopathology.
  • The phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B/AKT (PI3K-PKB/AKT) pathway is vital in cellular processes and frequently dysregulated in cancers.
  • Aberrant PI3K-PKB/AKT signaling drives cell proliferation in various cancers, including thyroid carcinomas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in thyroid cancers.
  • To emphasize the PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), PI3K/AKT/forkhead box O (FOXO), and PI3K/AKT/phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) pathways.
  • To summarize therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways in thyroid cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of signaling pathways in thyroid cancer.
  • Analysis of in vitro studies on therapeutic agents.
  • Exploration of downstream targets like mTOR, FOXOs, and PTEN.

Main Results:

  • Inhibitors of mTOR show promise as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy for thyroid malignancies.
  • FOXO and PTEN are key downstream targets of the PI3K/AKT pathway.
  • No current studies focus on thyroid cancer treatment targeting FOXOs and PTEN.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway, especially mTOR, offers promising therapeutic strategies for thyroid cancer.
  • Inducing FOXOs or PTEN activity, combined with inhibition of PI3K/AKT downstream mediators like mTOR, may represent a beneficial future treatment approach for thyroid cancer.

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