Gene alterations in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway as a mechanism of drug-resistance (Review)

Hafsi,Sameh; Pezzino,Franca  Maria; Candido,Saverio; Ligresti,Giovanni; Spandidos,Demetrios  A.; Soua,Zohra; McCubrey,James  A.; Travali,Salvatore; Libra,Massimo

doi:10.3892/ijo.2011.1312

Gene alterations in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway as a mechanism of drug-resistance (Review)

Authors:
- Sameh Hafsi
- Franca Maria Pezzino
- Saverio Candido
- Giovanni Ligresti
- Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Zohra Soua
- James A. McCubrey
- Salvatore Travali
- Massimo Libra
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Affiliations: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pathology and Oncology, Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Functional Genomics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Oncology Section, Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Functional Genomics, University of Catania, Via Androne 83, 95124 Catania, Italy
Published online on: December 20, 2011 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1312
Pages: 639-644

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Abstract

The most common therapeutic approach for many cancers is chemotherapy. However, many patients relapse after treatment due to the development of chemoresistance. Recently, targeted therapies represent novel approaches to destroy cancer cells. The PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway is a key signaling pathway involved in the regulation of cell growth. Dysregulated signaling of this pathway may be associated with activating mutations of PI3K-related genes. Analyses of these mutations reveal that they increase the PI3K signal, stimulate downstream Akt signaling, promote growth factor-independent growth and increase cell invasion and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway genetic alterations in cancer and their potential clinical applications.