PI3K/AKT/mTOR: role in breast cancer progression, drug resistance, and treatment

Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2016 Dec;35(4):515-524. doi: 10.1007/s10555-016-9637-x.

Abstract

Anti-cancer cancer-targeted therapies are designed to exploit a particular vulnerability in the tumor, which in most cases results from its dependence on an oncogene and/or loss of a tumor suppressor. Mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathway are freqcuently found in breast cancers and associated with cellular transformation, tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and drug resistance. Several drugs targeting PI3K/ATK/mTOR are currently in clinical trials, mainly in combination with endocrine therapy and anti-HER2 therapy. These drugs are the focus of this review.

Keywords: AKT; Breast cancer; PI3K; mTOR.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Oncogene Protein v-akt / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Oncogene Protein v-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases