Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 2, 489-501 (July 2002) | doi:10.1038/nrc839

The phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase–AKT pathway in human cancer

Igor Vivanco1 & Charles L. Sawyers1  About the authors

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One signal that is overactivated in a wide range of tumour types is the production of a phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5) trisphosphate, by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). This lipid and the protein kinase that is activated by it — AKT — trigger a cascade of responses, from cell growth and proliferation to survival and motility, that drive tumour progression. Small-molecule therapeutics that block PI3K signalling might deal a severe blow to cancer cells by blocking many aspects of the tumour-cell phenotype.

Author affiliations

  1. Departments of Medicine, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Urology and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, 11-935 Factor Building, 10833 LeConte Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.

Correspondence to: Charles L. Sawyers1 Email: csawyers@mednet.ucla.edu

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REFERENCE
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