January - March 2009, Volume 5, Issue 1

Musat ML, Korbonits M, Grossman A

Stop akting to treat endocrine tumours

Acta Endo (Buc) 2009, 5 (1): 131-142
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2009.131

The development of cancer in humans involves genetic and epigenetic changes that\r\nlead to cell cycle progression, inhibition of apoptosis, cell immortalisation, angiogenesis and\r\nthe ability to metastasise. One signalling pathway common to these events is the activation\r\nof phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) that affects downstream molecules involved in\r\nmalignant transformation. The article reviews the present data on the PI3K signalling, its\r\nderegulation in endocrine tumours, and new therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway in\r\nhuman neoplasia.

Keywords: PI3K, Akt, PTEN, endocrine tumours.

Correspondence: Madalina Musat, MD, PhD, Department of Endocrinology, “Carol Davila”\r\nUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy, “C.I.Parhon” Institute of Endocrinology, 36 Bd. Aviatorilor,\r\nsector 1 Bucharest, Romania, Tel: +40-21-3172041 ext 140, e-mail: mdmusat@yahoo.com