Despite recent advances in the understanding of the biologic basis of hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) development, the clinical management of the disease remains a major
challenge. Deregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which is a prototypic survival
pathway, is increasingly implicated in HCC carcinogenesis. In this article, we detailed the
role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of HCC and provide an update on the preclinical
and clinical development of various agents targeting this key survival/proliferation pathway …

Despite advances in the treatment of cancers through surgical procedures and new
pharmaceuticals, the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains challenging as
reflected by low survival rates. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is an important signaling
mechanism that regulates the cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, and metabolism.
Importantly, deregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway leading to activation is common in
HCC and is hence the subject of intense investigation and the focus of current therapeutics …