PTEN at the crossroad of metabolic diseases and cancer in the liver.

Abstract

The tumor suppressor PTEN is a phosphoinositide phosphatase regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathways and mutated or deleted in a variety of human cancers. Recent evidence indicates that dysregulated PTEN expression and activity in the liver critically affect hepatic insulin sensitivity and trigger the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. As well, PTEN expression/activity is also affected with HBV and HCV infection, or following alcohol-related injury. Finally, PTEN mutations/deletions or low PTEN expression are associated with diverse liver malignancies thus suggesting a critical role for PTEN in hepatic cancers. This review will focus on our current knowledge of the regulation of PTEN expression/activity and the role of this phosphatase in liver diseases.

• Authors: Manlio Vinciguerra, Michelangelo Foti
• Journal: Annals of hepatology (Ann Hepatol) 2008 Jul-Sep Vol. 7 Issue 3 Pg. 192-9 ISSN: 1665-2681 [Print] Mexico
• PMID: 18772845 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Enzyme Inhibitors
• Insulin
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• PTEN Phosphohydrolase
• PTEN protein, human

Topics

• Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Fatty Liver (enzymology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Hepatitis B (enzymology)
• Hepatitis C (enzymology)
• Humans
• Insulin (metabolism)
• Insulin Resistance
• Liver (drug effects, enzymology)
• Liver Diseases (drug therapy, enzymology, genetics)
• Liver Diseases, Alcoholic (enzymology)
• Liver Neoplasms (drug therapy, enzymology, genetics)
• Mutation
• PTEN Phosphohydrolase (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics, metabolism)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects, genetics)