Title:Strategic Developments & Future Perspective on Gene Therapy for Breast Cancer: Role of mTOR and Brk/ PTK6 as Molecular Targets
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Author(s): Roja Sahu and Shakti P. Pattanayak*
Affiliation:
- Division of Advanced Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand- 835 215,India
Keywords:
Breast cancer, Brk/PTK6, mTOR, gene therapy, siRNA, miRNA.
Abstract: Breast cancer is a serious health issue and a major concern in biomedical research. Alteration
in major signaling (viz. PI3K-AKT-mTOR, Ras-Raf-MEK-Erk, NF-kB, cyclin D1, JAK-STAT,
Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog signaling and apoptotic pathway) contributes to the development of major subtypes
of mammary carcinoma such as HER2 positive, TNBC, luminal A and B and normal-like breast
cancer. Further, mutation and expression parameters of different genes involved in the growth and development
of cells play an important role in the progress of different types of carcinoma, making gene
therapy an emerging new therapeutic approach for the management of life-threatening diseases like
cancer. The genetic targets (oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes) play a major role in the formation
of a tumor. Brk/PTK6 and mTOR are two central molecules that are involved in the regulation of numerous
signaling related to cell growth, proliferation, angiogenesis, survival, invasion, metastasis,
apoptosis, and autophagy. Since these two proteins are highly upregulated in mammary carcinogenesis,
this can be used as targeted genes for the treatment of breast cancer. However, not much work has
been done on them. This review highlights the therapeutic significance of Brk and mTOR and their
associated signaling in mammary carcinogenesis, which may provide a strategy to develop gene therapy
for breast cancer management.
