Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: current knowledge and clinical significance

Molecules. 2014 Sep 11;19(9):14304-15. doi: 10.3390/molecules190914304.

Abstract

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the most common non-Hodgkin lymphomas in adults. The disease is very heterogeneous in its presentation, that is DLBCL patients may differ from each other not only in regard to histology of tissue infiltration, clinical course or response to treatment, but also in respect to diversity in gene expression profiling. A growing body of knowledge on the biology of DLBCL, including abnormalities in intracellular signaling, has allowed the development of new treatment strategies, specifically directed against lymphoma cells. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway plays an important role in controlling proliferation and survival of tumor cells in various types of malignancies, including DLBCL, and therefore it may be a promising target for therapeutic intervention. Currently, novel anticancer drugs are undergoing assessment in different phases of clinical trials in aggressive lymphomas, with promising outcomes. In this review we present a state of art review on various classes of small molecule inhibitors selectively involving PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and their clinical potential in this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / drug therapy
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / genetics*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Small Molecule Libraries / administration & dosage*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases