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PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in medullary thyroid cancer: a promising molecular target for cancer therapy

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An Erratum to this article was published on 08 July 2016

Abstract

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a central hub for the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Several studies have recently suggested that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of neuroendocrine tumors. Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor developing from the C cells of the thyroid. Mutations in the RET proto-oncogene are involved in the pathogenesis of several forms of MTC. The deregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway seems to contribute to the tumorigenic activity of RET proto-oncogene mutations. Targeting this pathway through specific inhibitors at simple or multiple sites may represent an attractive potential therapeutic approach for patients with advanced MTCs. The aim of this review is to examine the role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in the development and progression of MTC and the new therapeutic options that target this signaling pathway.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, Research and University (FIRB RBAP11884 M).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Gloria Irene Manfredi, Germano Gaudenzi, Luca Persani & Giovanni Vitale

  2. Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, University of Milan, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino (MI), 20095, Milan, Italy

    Alessandra Dicitore, Luca Persani & Giovanni Vitale

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and General Pathology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Michele Caraglia

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  1. Gloria Irene Manfredi
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Manfredi, G.I., Dicitore, A., Gaudenzi, G. et al. PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in medullary thyroid cancer: a promising molecular target for cancer therapy. Endocrine 48, 363–370 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-014-0380-1

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