CAREER NETWORK World's one of the largest Research Career Network Benefits Academic & Industry jobs Project funding Visiting faculty positions Visiting scientist positions Invited talks and more... Register FREE Global Journal of Biochemistry 2012, 3: 3 Review Article The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway in neuroendocrine tumors Yash Somnay, Muthusamy Kunnimalaiyaan Endocrine Surgery Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin and UW Carbone Cancer Center, Madison 53705, USA Abstract The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway is frequently aberrantly activated in various neuroendocrine cancers. Therefore selectively targeting this pathway with small molecule inhibitors may suppress tumor growth, improve responsiveness to other therapies and achieve symptomatic control for patients with inoperable malignancies. This review discusses the role of the PI3K-Akt pathway in the malignant transformation of neuroendocrine tumors, specifically carcinoids and small cell lung cancers. In addition, it proposes that selective targeting of this pathway may result in suppression of abnormal growth and be thus a viable option for the treatment and management of these neoplasms. Keywords Raf-1 pathway; Notch pathway; Akt; NE Tumors; Carcinoids; SCLC; ASCL1; Chromogranin A