PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway and Its Role in Cancer Therapeutics: Are We Making Headway?

Yan Peng; Yuanyuan Wang; Cheng Zhou; Wuxuan Mei; Changchun Zeng

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.819128

PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway and Its Role in Cancer Therapeutics: Are We Making Headway?

Front Oncol. 2022 Mar 24:12:819128. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.819128. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yan Peng¹, Yuanyuan Wang², Cheng Zhou³, Wuxuan Mei², Changchun Zeng³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics, Longhua District Central Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
² Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China.
³ Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Cancer is a severe public health issue that is a leading cause of mortality globally. It is also an impediment to improving life expectancy worldwide. Furthermore, the global burden of cancer incidence and death is continuously growing. Current therapeutic options are insufficient for patients, and tumor complexity and heterogeneity necessitate customized medicine or targeted therapy. It is critical to identify potential cancer therapeutic targets. Aberrant activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has a significant role in carcinogenesis. This review summarized oncogenic PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway alterations in cancer and various cancer hallmarks associated with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, such as cell proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and chemoresistance. Importantly, this review provided recent advances in PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitor research. Overall, an in-depth understanding of the association between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and tumorigenesis and the development of therapies targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway will help make clinical decisions.

Keywords: PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway; cancer; oncogenic alterations; precision medicine; targeted therapy.

Publication types

Review