Signal Transduction Pathways in Breast Cancer: The Important Role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR

Abstract

Breast cancer is the cancer with the highest prevalence in women and is the number-one cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Cell transduction is a fundamental process in the development and progression of cancer. Modifications in various cell signalling pathways promote tumour cell proliferation, progression, and survival. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is an example of that, and it is involved in growth, proliferation, survival, motility, metabolism, and immune response regulation. Activation of this pathway is one of the main causes of cancer cell resistance to antitumour therapies. This makes PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling a crucial object of study for understanding the development and progression of this disease. Thus, this pathway may have a role as a potential therapeutic target, as well as prognostic and diagnostic value, in patients with breast cancer. Despite the existence of selective PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors and current clinical trials, the cellular mechanisms are not yet known. The present review aims to understand the current state of this important disease and the paths that must be forged.

Levobupivacaine inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of breast cancer cells by suppressing the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway

“…PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway plays a vital role in cell proliferation, survival, development, metabolism, motility and regulation of the immune response. Breast cancer cell resistance to therapies can result from the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway [38][39][40][41]. This has made the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway an important object of study for understanding the development and progression of breast cancer.…”

“…Phosphorylation of the FOXO proteins by Akt may results in cytoplasmic retention by interacting with other proteins, thereby isolating them from their targeted genes. Cyclin D1 classi ed as a pro oncogene is often over-expressed in several human malignancies including breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers [41,43]. Reports show that over-expression of cyclin D1 and under-expression of tumour suppressor p21 is required for cancer initiation as it is con rmed that down-regulation of cyclin D1 and over-expression of p21 in xenograft model discontinues the formation of cancer in the early stages [44].…”

Integrative Analysis of Genes Associated With Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics via Stemness Indices Combined With Multi-Omics Data in Liver Cancer

“…These preliminary results suggest that cancer cells with high degree stemness promote the development of LC. [19][20][21][22]. Therefore, tumor cells with a high degree of stemness are likely to promote cell growth, metastasis and proliferation by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.…”

<p>Progress: Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy, and New Chemotherapy Strategies in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer</p>

“…AKT is an important member of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. 25 AKT is a key node of various downstream signaling pathways and promotes cell survival, growth, metabolism, invasion, and migration by acting on downstream signaling molecules. 26,27 PIK3CA or AKT1 mutation, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) inactivating or loss can activate PI3K/AKT/ mTOR pathway, which is common in TNBC.…”