PTEN in Hematopoietic and Intestinal Stem Cells and Cancer

摘要: In this chapter, we discuss the roles of tumor suppressor PTEN in regulating stem cells hematopoietic and intestinal systems as well its contributions to carcinogenesis these tissues. Stem continually renewing tissues must balance necessity maintain their respective tissue with requirement preserve cell pool throughout adult life. Hematopoietic (HSCs) are tasked sustaining various types blood while regenerate gut epithelium. PTEN, a dual-specificity phosphatase able target proteins lipids, is sole antagonist PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. often activated by growth factors typically results stimulation cellular outcomes such proliferation, inhibition apoptosis, migration. Functional studies loss animal models have indicated role for protective agent that promote quiescence, PTEN-deficient animals exhibit overproliferative progenitor prone proliferative disorders cancer development. However, from other including accumulated clinical evidence, it not likely acts alone stimulate malignant transformation. Indeed, HSCs become exhausted unable sustain healthy system. Rather, appears function restrictive factor prevents unregulated which leaves susceptible additional mutations/deregulation, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, overt cancer. Additional study into PTEN/PI3K/AKT should provide further insight self-renewal mechanisms may aid distinguishing normal cancer-initiating counterparts.