title: Targeted regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling by indole compounds and their derivatives: mechanistic details and biological implications for cancer therapy.
abstract: Indole compounds, found in cruciferous vegetables, are potent anti-cancer agents. Studies with indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its dimeric product, 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) suggest that these compounds have the ability to deregulate multiple cellular signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. These natural compounds are also effective modulators of downstream transcription factor NF-κB signaling which might help explain their ability to inhibit invasion and angiogenesis, and the reversal of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and drug resistance. Signaling through PI3K/Akt/mTOR and NF-κB pathway is increasingly being realized to play important role in EMT through the regulation of novel miRNAs which further validates the importance of this signaling network and its regulations by indole compounds. Here we will review the available literature on the modulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling by both parental I3C and DIM, as well as their analogs/derivatives, in an attempt to catalog their anticancer activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Aamir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biersack
authors.forename: Yiwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dejuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schobert
authors.forename: Subhash B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Padhye
authors.forename: Fazlul H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Sarkar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D007211:Indoles; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases