Endogenous PTEN acts as the key determinant for mTOR inhibitor sensitivity by inducing the stress-sensitized PTEN-mediated death axis in KSHV-associated malignant cells

ABSTRACT: As a part of viral cancer evolution, KSHV-infected human endothelial cells exert a unique transcriptional program via upregulated mTORC1 signaling. This event makes them sensitive to mTOR inhibitors. Master transcriptional regulator PTEN acts as the prime regulator of mTOR and determining factor for mTOR inhibitory drug resistance and sensitivity. PTEN is post-translationally modified in KSHV-associated cell lines and infected tissues. Our current study is an attempt to understand the functional role of upstream modulator PTEN in determining the sensitivity of mTOR inhibitors against KSHV-infected cells in an in vitro stress-responsive model. Our analysis shows that, despite phosphorylation, endogenous levels of intact PTEN in different KSHV-infected cells compared to normal and non-infect

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC10433768 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature