Targeting the PI3K pathway for cancer therapy.

The PI3K pathway plays an important role in key cellular functions such as cell growth, proliferation and survival. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in different pathway components lead to aberrant pathway activation and have been observed in high frequencies in various tumor types. Consequently, significant effort has been made to develop antineoplastic agents targeting different nodes in this pathway. Additionally, PI3K pathway status may have predictive and prognostic implications, and may contribute to drug resistance in tumor cells. This article provides an overview of our current knowledge of the PI3K pathway with an emphasis on its application in cancer treatment.