Switching Akt: from Survival Signaling to Deadly Response

Overview

Journal Bioessays

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2009 Mar 26

PMID 19319914

Citations 62

Authors

Marek Los

SubbaReddy Maddika

Bettina Erb

Klaus Schulze-Osthoff

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Akt, a protein kinase hyperactivated in many tumors, plays a major role in both cell survival and resistance to tumor therapy. A recent study,1 along with other evidences, shows interestingly, that Akt is not a single-function kinase, but may facilitate rather than inhibit cell death under certain conditions. This hitherto undetected function of Akt is accomplished by its ability to increase reactive oxygen species and to suppress antioxidant enzymes. The ability of Akt to down-regulate antioxidant defenses uncovers a novel Achilles' heel, which could be exploited by oxidant therapies in order to selectively eradicate tumor cells that express high levels of Akt activity.

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