Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line
06:24

Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line

Published on: April 11, 2025

259

Alterations of the AKT Pathway in Sporadic Human Tumors, Inherited Susceptibility to Cancer, and Overgrowth Syndromes

Craig W Menges1,2, Dalal Hassan3,4, Mitchell Cheung1

  • 1Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
|August 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

The AKT signaling pathway is crucial for cell growth and survival, and its dysregulation contributes to cancer and overgrowth disorders. Hyperactivation of AKT is a common feature in many human tumors and genetic syndromes.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • AKT kinases are key regulators of cellular processes, activated by tyrosine kinase receptors and PI3K.
  • Dysregulation of AKT signaling, through tumor suppressors or oncogenes, contributes to cancer development.
  • AKT pathway hyperactivation is implicated in numerous human cancers and genetic overgrowth syndromes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on AKT pathway hyperactivation in human tumors and hereditary cancer syndromes.
  • To discuss the role of AKT pathway gene mutations in chimeric overgrowth disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific publications.
  • Analysis of documented cases of human tumors and genetic syndromes.

Main Results:

  • The AKT pathway is frequently hyperactivated in sporadic and hereditary human cancers.
  • Activating mutations in AKT pathway genes are associated with overgrowth disorders like Proteus syndrome and CLOVES syndrome.

Conclusions:

  • Hyperactivated AKT signaling is a significant factor in oncogenesis and the development of various overgrowth disorders.
  • Understanding AKT pathway dysregulation is critical for developing targeted therapies for cancer and related conditions.

More Related Videos

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

17.9K
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma10:21

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma

Published on: September 20, 2024

404

Related Concept Videos

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...
3.8K
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...
3.4K
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
11.8K
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions01:12

Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
4.7K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.5K
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...
6.2K