Targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in Breast Cancer: From Biology to Clinical Challenges

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common women cancer and cause of cancer death. Despite decades of scientific progress in BC treatments, the clinical benefit of new drugs is modest in several cases. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway mutations are frequent in BC (20–40%) and are significant causes of aggressive tumor behavior, as well as treatment resistance. Improving knowledge of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is an urgent need. This review aims to highlight the central role of PI3K-mTORC1/C2 mutations in the different BC subtypes, in terms of clinical outcomes and treatment efficacy. The broad base of knowledge in tumor biology is a key point for personalized BC therapy in the precision medicine era.

Keywords

• PI3K
• breast cancer
• PI3K inhibitors
• mTOR inhibitor
• everolimus
• alpelisib