[PDF][PDF] Selective requirement of PI3K/PDK1 signaling for Kras oncogene-driven pancreatic cell plasticity and cancer

S Eser, N Reiff, M Messer, B Seidler, K Gottschalk… - Cancer cell, 2013 - cell.com
S Eser, N Reiff, M Messer, B Seidler, K Gottschalk, M Dobler, M Hieber, A Arbeiter, S Klein…
Cancer cell, 2013cell.com
Oncogenic Kras activates a plethora of signaling pathways, but our understanding of critical
Ras effectors is still very limited. We show that cell-autonomous phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(PI3K) and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), but not Craf, are key
effectors of oncogenic Kras in the pancreas, mediating cell plasticity, acinar-to-ductal
metaplasia (ADM), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) formation. This contrasts
with Kras-driven non-small cell lung cancer, where signaling via Craf, but not PDK1, is an …
Summary
Oncogenic Kras activates a plethora of signaling pathways, but our understanding of critical Ras effectors is still very limited. We show that cell-autonomous phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), but not Craf, are key effectors of oncogenic Kras in the pancreas, mediating cell plasticity, acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) formation. This contrasts with Kras-driven non-small cell lung cancer, where signaling via Craf, but not PDK1, is an essential tumor-initiating event. These in vivo genetic studies together with pharmacologic treatment studies in models of human ADM and PDAC demonstrate tissue-specific differences of oncogenic Kras signaling and define PI3K/PDK1 as a suitable target for therapeutic intervention specifically in PDAC.
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