PI 3-kinase and cancer: changing accents

Research on PI 3-kinase (PI3K) is undergoing significant shifts in emphasis. Questions that have been dormant for some time are coming to the forefront, such as the relationship of PTEN to PI3K and the role of AKT in PI3K-driven oncogenesis. Two non-alpha isoforms of Class I PI3K are now established as important determinants in cancer: p110 beta and p110 delta. The oncogenic activities of p110 beta include a non-catalytic function, a finding that will have immediate consequences for drug development.