PI3 K/AKT/mTOR pathway and its role in breast cancer stem cells

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation bearing self-renewal ability, mediating tumor initiation and propagation. Several molecular pathways, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, are known to be aberrantly activated in cancers. In CSCs, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has been associated with attribution of various properties to cancer cells including stemness characteristics, proliferation, migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and autophagy. Thus, targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway with novel inhibitors might help to control the growth and proliferation of the breast CSC population. Though many studies have focused on PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast cancer, limited literature is available on the role of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast CSCs. Here, in our present review, we have highlighted the role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in breast CSCs and its applications in therapeutic targeting.