Eli Lilly scientists identify AKT1 genetic mutation

Eli Lilly and the Translational Genomics Research Institute have this week announced the discovery of a recurring mutation of the AKT1 gene in cell lines for breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer.

Reporting these findings in an advance online publication of Journal, the company notes that the presence of this mutation seems to result in the proliferation of tumour cells and could also make cells in the body resistant to some types of treatment.

The pathway for P13-Kinase/AKT is often targeted by pharmaceutical firms researching new oncology drugs, as it is one of the most frequently activated cellular pathways in cancer patients with this activation resulting in the growth and survival of cancer cells.

Kerry L Blanchard, executive director of discovery biology research at Lilly, said: “This discovery is a seminal finding in cancer biology that confirms AKT1 as an oncogene in breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer.”

He added that the mutation changes the electrostatics of binding pocket in the pleckstrin homology domain, while the company reports that this discovery by its scientists supports the focus on AKT1 as a drug target.

In June 2007, Lilly’s cancer division presented 76 studies at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.