title: A new role for the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
abstract: Tumor metastasis is not only a sign of disease severity but also a major factor causing treatment failure and cancer-related death. Therefore, studies on the molecular mechanisms of tumor metastasis are critical for the development of treatments and for the improvement of survival. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an orderly, polygenic biological process that plays an important role in tumor cell invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. The complex, multi-step process of EMT involves multiple regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway can affect the EMT in a variety of ways to influence tumor aggressiveness. A better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms related to the EMT can provide a theoretical basis for the early prediction of tumor progression as well as targeted therapy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology ; The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University ; Nanchang , Jiangxi , China.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Nonghua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: CK, cytokeratin; ECM, extracellular matrix; EMT; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; FGF, fibroblast growth factor; GSK-3β, glycogen synthase kinase 3 β; ILK, integrin-linked kinase; MDR, multidrug resistance; MET, mesenchymal-epithelial transition; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; PDK1, 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase; PI3K/Akt signaling pathway; PKA, protein kinase A; PKB, protein kinase B; PKC, protein kinase C; TGF-β, transforming growth factor-β; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; YB-1, Y-box binding protein-1; anti-cancer therapy; bHLH, basic helix-loop-helix protein; extracellular matrix; transcription factors; tumor aggressiveness