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The PI3K/Akt Pathway in Tumors of Endocrine Tissues

Helen Louise Robbins1, Angela Hague2

  • 1Department of General Surgery, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire , Coventry , UK.

Frontiers in Endocrinology
|January 22, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway drives cancer. This review examines its role in endocrine tumors, suggesting Akt as a prognostic marker and the PI3K pathway as a therapeutic target.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway is crucial in cancer development.
  • Defects in this pathway are linked to endocrine tumor syndromes like Cowden's disease and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for the PI3K/Akt pathway's involvement in various endocrine tumors.
  • To explore the potential of Akt as a prognostic marker and the PI3K pathway as a therapeutic target in endocrine neoplasia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of animal models, in vitro studies, and human tumor analyses.
  • Immunohistochemistry to detect Akt overactivation in human tumor tissues.

Main Results:

  • The PI3K/Akt pathway is implicated in thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, and adrenal cancers, as well as neuroblastoma and neuroendocrine tumors.
  • Akt overactivation is frequently observed in human endocrine tumors.

Conclusions:

  • The PI3K/Akt pathway is a significant factor in endocrine neoplasia.
  • Targeting the PI3K pathway and utilizing Akt as a prognostic marker show promise for endocrine cancer treatment.
Keywords:
Akt/PKB kinasesadrenocortical carcinomagastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumorsneuroblastomaparathyroid tumorsphaeochromocytomapituitary tumorsthyroid tumors

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