Therapeutic targeting of phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is considered as a possible strategy in several types of cancer, including gastrointestinal ones. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated the significance of proapoptotic and antiproliferative inhibition of PI3K. Although there are many phase 1 and 2 clinical trials on PI3K inhibitors in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, the molecular mechanism of PI3K targeting PI3K/ mTOR pathway is not clear. Panclass I, isoformselective, and dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors are under investigation. This review aimed to indicate PI3K-dependent targeting mechanisms in gastrointestinal cancer and the evaluation of related clinical data.
Keywords: Clinical trials; Gastrointestinal cancer; PI3K pharmacological inhibitors.