Role of the Akt/mTOR survival pathway in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Apr 9;394(3):600-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.03.029. Epub 2010 Mar 7.

Abstract

The mechanism of cisplatin resistance in cancer cells is not fully understood. Here, we show that the Akt/mTOR survival pathway plays an important role in cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer cells. Specifically, we found that cisplatin treatment activates the Akt/mTOR survival pathway and that inhibition of this pathway by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 or knockdown of Akt sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin. Furthermore, we generated cisplatin-resistant cells and found that resistant cells express a higher level of activated Akt as compared to their cisplatin sensitive counterparts. Importantly, inhibition of Akt or mTOR sensitized resistant cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our data indicate that activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway prevents cisplatin-induced apoptosis, leading to cisplatin resistance. Therefore, our study suggests that cisplatin resistance can be overcome by targeting the Akt/mTOR survival pathway in human ovarian cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • Chromones / pharmacology
  • Cisplatin / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / physiology*
  • Morpholines / pharmacology
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / physiology*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Chromones
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Morpholines
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Cisplatin