PI3 K/AKT/mTOR pathway and its role in breast cancer stem cells
Kirti S. Prabhu, Shilpa Kuttikrishnan, Zahwa Mariyam, Ummu Habeeba, Anu Jayanthi Panicker, Tariq Masoodi, Kulsoom Junejo, Shahab Uddin
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation bearing self-renewal ability, mediating tumor initiation and propagation. Several molecular pathways, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, are known to be aberrantly activated in cancers. In CSCs, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has been associated with attribution of various properties to cancer cells including stemness characteristics, proliferation, migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and autophagy. Thus, targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway with novel inhibitors might help to control the growth and proliferation of the breast CSC population. Though many studies have focused on PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast cancer, limited literature is available on the role of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast CSCs. Here, in our present review, we have highlighted the role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in breast CSCs and its applications in therapeutic targeting.