The Landscape of PDK1 in Breast Cancer

Simple Summary Approximately 2,261,419 new cases of breast cancer (BC) and 684,996 BC-related deaths are estimated to occur in 2020 globally. New individualized therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for affected patients. The aim of our review was to assess the potential role of targeted PDK1 therapies in BC. We hope the information provided on clinical trials of PDK1-targeted therapies will benefit researchers and clinicians in the breast cancer field. Given that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) plays a crucial role in the malignant biological behaviors of a wide range of cancers, we review the influence of PDK1 in breast cancer (BC). First, we describe the power of PDK1 in cellular behaviors and characterize the interaction networks of PDK1. Then, we establish the roles of PDK1 in carcinogenesis, growth and survival, metastasis, and chemoresistance in BC cells. More importantly, we sort the current preclinical or clinical trials of PDK1-targeted therapy in BC and find that, even though no selective PDK1 inhibitor is currently available for BC therapy, the combination trials of PDK1-targeted therapy and other agents have provided some benefit. Thus, there is increasing anticipation that PDK1-targeted therapy will have its space in future therapeutic approaches related to BC, and we hope the novel approaches of targeted therapy will be conducive to ameliorating the dismal prognosis of BC patients.

Automated summary

This review assesses the potential role of targeted PDK1 therapies in breast cancer (BC) and summarizes the current clinical trials. The study finds that although there is currently no selective PDK1 inhibitor available for BC therapy, combination trials of PDK1-targeted therapy and other agents have shown some benefit. This provides a new approach for the treatment of BC.