scholarly journals Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR; FRAP; RAFT1); phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN; MMAC1; TEP1); tumor protein p53 (TP53; p53)

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 479-479
Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (22) ◽  
pp. 4560-4568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao Hoang ◽  
Patrick Frost ◽  
Yijiang Shi ◽  
Eileen Belanger ◽  
Angelica Benavides ◽  
...  

Although preclinical work with rapalogs suggests potential in treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), they have been less successful clinically. These drugs allostearically inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin kinase primarily curtailing activity of the target of rapamycin complex (TORC)1. To assess if the mammalian target of rapamycin within the TORC2 complex could be a better target in MM, we tested a new agent, pp242, which prevents activation of TORC2 as well as TORC1. Although comparable to rapamycin against phosphorylation of the TORC1 substrates p70S6kinase and 4E-BP-1, pp242 could also inhibit phosphorylation of AKT on serine 473, a TORC2 substrate, while rapamycin was ineffective. pp242 was also more effective than rapamycin in achieving cytoreduction and apoptosis in MM cells. In addition, pp242 was an effective agent against primary MM cells in vitro and growth of 8226 cells in mice. Knockdown of the TORC2 complex protein, rictor, was deleterious to MM cells further supporting TORC2 as the critical target for pp242. TORC2 activation was frequently identified in primary specimens by immunostaining for AKT phosphorylation on serine 473. Potential mechanisms of up-regulated TORC2 activity in MM were stimulation with interleukin-6 or insulin-like growth factor 1, and phosphatase and tensin homolog or RAS alterations. Combining pp242 with bortezomib led to synergistic anti-MM effects. These results support TORC2 as a therapeutic target in MM.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Gugel ◽  
Florian H. Ebner ◽  
Florian Grimm ◽  
Stefan Czemmel ◽  
Frank Paulsen ◽  
...  

The use of radiation treatment has increased for both sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated vestibular schwannoma (VS). However, there are a subset of radioresistant tumors and systemic treatments that are seldom used in these patients. We investigated molecular alterations after radiation in three NF2-associated and five sporadically operated recurrent VS after primary irradiation. We compared these findings with 49 non-irradiated (36 sporadic and 13 NF2-associated) VS through gene-expression profiling and pathway analysis. Furthermore, we stained the key molecules of the distinct pathway by immunohistochemistry. A total of 195 differentially expressed genes in sporadic and NF2-related comparisons showed significant differences based on the criteria of p value < 0.05 and a two-fold change. These genes were involved in pathways that are known to be altered upon irradiation (e.g., mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling). We observed a combined downregulation of PTEN signaling and an upregulation of mTOR signaling in progressive NF2-associated VS after irradiation. Immunostainings with mTOR and PTEN antibodies confirmed the respective molecular alterations. Taken together, mTOR inhibition might be a promising therapeutic strategy in NF2-associated VS progress after irradiation.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 719
Author(s):  
Nicola Fusco ◽  
Elham Sajjadi ◽  
Konstantinos Venetis ◽  
Gabriella Gaudioso ◽  
Gianluca Lopez ◽  
...  

Alterations in the tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) occur in a substantial proportion of solid tumors. These events drive tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Given its central role as a downregulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, PTEN is deeply involved in cell growth, proliferation, and survival. This gene is also implicated in the modulation of the DNA damage response and in tumor immune microenvironment modeling. Despite the actionability of PTEN alterations, their role as biomarkers remains controversial in clinical practice. To date, there is still a substantial lack of validated guidelines and/or recommendations for PTEN testing. Here, we provide an update on the current state of knowledge on biologic and genetic alterations of PTEN across the most frequent solid tumors, as well as on their actual and/or possible clinical applications. We focus on possible tailored schemes for cancer patients’ clinical management, including risk assessment, diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 316 (1) ◽  
pp. H61-H69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenbo Yang ◽  
Zhijun Wu ◽  
Ke Yang ◽  
Yanxin Han ◽  
Yanjia Chen ◽  
...  

Cardiac fibrosis has been known to play an important role in the etiology of heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1), a transcriptional repressor, is important for fibrogenesis in the kidneys. However, the effect of BMI1 on ischemia-induced cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. BMI1 was strongly expressed in the infarct region 1 wk post-MI in mice and was detected by Western blot and histological analyses. Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of BMI1 significantly promoted cardiac fibrosis, worsened cardiac function 4 wk after the intervention in vivo, and enhanced the proliferation and migration capabilities of fibroblasts in vitro , whereas downregulation of BMI1 decreased cardiac fibrosis and prevented cardiac dysfunction in mice 4 wk post-MI in vivo. Furthermore, upregulated BMI1 inhibited phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression, enhanced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) expression, and increased the phosphorylation level of Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in mice 4 wk after lentiviral infection, which was in accordance with the changes seen in their infarcted myocardial tissues. At the same time, the effects of BMI1 on cardiac fibroblasts were reversed in vitro when these cells were exposed to NVP-BEZ235, a dual-kinase (PI3K/mTOR) inhibitor. In conclusion, BMI1 is associated with cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction after MI by regulating cardiac fibroblast proliferation and migration, and these effects could be partially explained by the regulation of the PTEN-PI3K/Akt-mTOR pathway. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ischemia-induced B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1) significantly promoted cardiac fibrosis and worsened cardiac function in vivo, whereas downregulation of BMI1 decreased cardiac fibrosis and prevented cardiac dysfunction in myocardial infarcted mice. BMI1 also enhanced proliferation and migration capabilities of fibroblasts in vitro; these effects were reversed by NVP-BEZ235. Effects of BMI1 on cardiac fibrosis could be partially explained by regulation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 5447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossi ◽  
Schinzari ◽  
Maiorano ◽  
Pagliara ◽  
Di Stefani ◽  
...  

Conjunctival melanoma (CjM) is a rare, primary cancer of the ocular region. Genetic and epigenetic characteristics of conjunctival melanoma have not been completely elucidated yet. Conjunctival melanoma presents similarities with cutaneous melanoma, with substantial differences in the biological behavior. We reviewed the genetic and epigenetic insights of CjM involved in invasion and metastatic spread. CjM is commonly characterized by mutations of v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF), neurofibromin 1 (NF1) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), high expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), frequent phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss and upregulation of specific miRNAs. These features should identify CjM as a distinct subset of melanoma with its own profile, which is more similar to cutaneous melanoma than mucosal melanoma and remarkably different from uveal melanoma.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 1937-1942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songshan Li ◽  
Chao Yang ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Xin Gao ◽  
Xuejie Wang ◽  
...  

Cell-type–specific G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling regulates distinct neuronal responses to various stimuli and is essential for axon guidance and targeting during development. However, its function in axonal regeneration in the mature CNS remains elusive. We found that subtypes of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in mice maintained high mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) levels after axotomy and that the light-sensitive GPCR melanopsin mediated this sustained expression. Melanopsin overexpression in the RGCs stimulated axonal regeneration after optic nerve crush by up-regulating mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). The extent of the regeneration was comparable to that observed after phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) knockdown. Both the axon regeneration and mTOR activity that were enhanced by melanopsin required light stimulation and Gq/11 signaling. Specifically, activating Gq in RGCs elevated mTOR activation and promoted axonal regeneration. Melanopsin overexpression in RGCs enhanced the amplitude and duration of their light response, and silencing them with Kir2.1 significantly suppressed the increased mTOR signaling and axon regeneration that were induced by melanopsin. Thus, our results provide a strategy to promote axon regeneration after CNS injury by modulating neuronal activity through GPCR signaling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie C. Romero-Arias ◽  
Luis G. Sequeda-Castañeda ◽  
Andres F. Aristizábal-Pachón ◽  
Ludis Morales

Ginger is a plant that is native to southern China. In the last decade and research on the components of ginger has significantly increased; of these components, 6-shogaol exhibits the greatest potential antitumor capacity. However, the molecular mechanism through which 6-shogaol exerts its effects has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the effect of 6-shogaol on tumor cells that were derived from human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) was evaluated. Cell viability was determined by a (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) MTT assay testing different concentrations of 6-shogaol (2.5–150 μM). Subsequently, the effect of 6-shogaol on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, glucose uptake, and protein expression of the signaling pathway phosphatase and tensin homolog/ protein kinase B /mammalian target of rapamycin (PTEN/Akt/mTOR) was measured. 6-Shogaol reduced the viability of the tumor cells and caused an increase in ROS production, which was attenuated with the addition of N-acetylcysteine, and the recovery of cell viability was observed. The increase in ROS production in response to 6-shogaol was associated with cell death. Similarly, glucose uptake decreased with incremental concentrations of 6-shogaol, and an increase in the expression of mTOR-p and Akt-p proteins was observed; PTEN was active in all the treatments with 6-shogaol. Thus, the results suggest that cells activate uncontrolled signaling pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR, among other alternative mechanisms of metabolic modulation and of survival in order to counteract the pro-oxidant effect of 6-shogaol and the decrease in glucose uptake. Interestingly, a differential response was observed when non-cancerous cells were treated with 6-shogaol.


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