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Bioactive PI3-kinase/Akt/mTOR Inhibitors in Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy

Somayyeh Ghareghomi1, Vahideh Atabaki2, Naseh Abdollahzadeh3

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin
|February 1, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Natural alkaloids and flavonoids show promise for lung cancer therapy by targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway. These phytochemicals offer potential new drug scaffolds for cancer treatment by down-regulating cancer cell proliferation and survival.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • The Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is crucial for cell proliferation and survival.
  • Overexpression of Akt/mTOR is frequently observed in human cancers, including lung cancer.
  • Targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway is a key strategy in cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review natural alkaloids and flavonoids as potential treatments for lung cancer.
  • To explore their mechanisms of action, focusing on Akt/mTOR pathway down-regulation.
  • To highlight phytochemicals as promising scaffolds for novel anti-cancer drug development.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature search using Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
  • Focused on keywords: "Akt/mTOR", "Alkaloid", "flavonoid", and "lung cancer".
  • Review and synthesis of identified studies on natural products targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway in lung cancer.

Main Results:

  • A variety of natural alkaloids and flavonoids directly inhibit the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
  • These compounds demonstrate potential in down-regulating cancer cell proliferation and survival.
  • Phytochemicals represent a significant source for discovering new anti-cancer agents.

Conclusions:

  • Alkaloids and flavonoids are pivotal natural product classes with anticancer potential.
  • Targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway with these compounds offers a viable therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.
  • Phytochemicals warrant further investigation as scaffolds for developing effective lung cancer drugs.
Keywords:
AlkaloidsCancer treatmentDrug discoveryFlavonoidsLung cancerPI3K/Akt/mTOR

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