Akt in cancer: Mediator and more

Semin Cancer Biol. 2019 Dec:59:80-91. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.06.002. Epub 2019 Jun 4.

Abstract

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase and it participates in the key role of the PI3K signaling pathway. The Akt can be activated by a wide range of growth signals and the biochemical mechanisms leading to Akt activation are well defined. Once activated, Akt modulates the function of many downstream proteins involved in cellular survival, proliferation, migration, metabolism, and angiogenesis. The Akt is a central node of many signaling pathways and it is frequently deregulated in many types of human cancers. In this review, we provide an overview of Akt function and its role in the hallmarks of human cancer. We also discussed various mechanisms of Akt dysregulation in cancers, including epigenetic modifications like methylation, post-transcriptional non-coding RNAs-mediated regulation, and the overexpression and mutation.

Keywords: Akt; Akt inhibitor; Cancer hallmarks; Mutation; lncRNA; miRNA.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Disease Susceptibility*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Protein Transport
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt