EMT blockage strategies: Targeting Akt dependent mechanisms for breast cancer metastatic behaviour modulation

Curr Gene Ther. 2015;15(3):300-12. doi: 10.2174/1566523215666150126123642.

Abstract

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is an event where epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal-like phenotype. EMT can occur as a physiological phenomenon during tissue development and wound healing, but most importantly, EMT can confer highly invasive properties to epithelial carcinoma cells. The impairment of E-cadherin expression, an essential cell-cell adhesion protein, together with an increase in the expression of mesenchymal markers, such as N-cadherin, vimentin, and fibronectin, characterize the EMT process and are usually correlated with tumor migration, and metastization. A wide range of micro-environmental and intracellular factors regulate tumor development and progression. The dynamic cross-talk between the adhesion-related proteins such as E-cadherin and the EMT-related transcription factors, with special focus on TWIST, will be discussed here, with the aim of finding a suitable biological pathway to be used as potential target for cancer therapy. Emerging concepts such as the role of the PI3K/AKT/TWIST pathway in the regulation of the E-cadherin expression will be highlighted, since it seems to be consistently involved in cells EMT. The well-known efficacy of the RNA interference as a tool to silence the expression of specific proteins has come into focus as a strategy to control different tumor sub-populations. Despite the oligonucleotides enormous sensitivity and low in vivo stability, new (nano)technological solutions are expected to enable RNAi clinical application in cancer therapy.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Metastasis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt