The phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway

Cantley LC · 2002 · Science · Atlas ID CAN2002

What this study shows

Review establishing PI3K as a central signaling hub controlling cell survival, metabolism, and growth downstream of growth-factor receptors and upstream of Akt and mTOR.

Abstract

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Phosphorylated lipids are produced at cellular membranes during signaling events and contribute to the recruitment and activation of various signaling components. The role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which catalyzes the production of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate, in cell survival pathways; the regulation of gene expression and cell metabolism; and cytoskeletal rearrangements are highlighted. The PI3K pathway is implicated in human diseases including diabetes and cancer, and understanding the intricacies of this pathway may provide new avenues for therapuetic intervention.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type	R Review — secondary literature, not a new result Marked R because it is a review or synthesis of existing evidence rather than a new primary result; that is a different form of writing, not a weaker one.
Study type	Narrative Review
Model system	Review article
Journal	Science
Year	2002
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-10-01
Source	DOI 10.1126/science.296.5573.1655 · PMID 12040186

Extracted findings

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

Intervention	Not applicable (review)
Target	PI3K / PIP3 (upstream of Akt-mTOR)
Model	Review
Effect	Reviews the PI3K pathway in cell survival, metabolism, gene expression and cytoskeletal control

In the Atlas

Links in the pathway map

Supports Growth hormone / IGF-1 axis activates PI3K
Supports IRS-1 / IRS-2 activates PI3K
Supports PI3K activates Akt/PKB

Learn the biology

Want to understand the biology behind this study? → Growth Factor Signalling

Cite this paper

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Cantley, L. C. (2002). The phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.296.5573.1655

@article{CAN2002,
  author       = {Cantley, L. C.},
  title        = {{The phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway}},
  journal      = {Science},
  year         = {2002},
  doi          = {10.1126/science.296.5573.1655},
  note         = {PMID: 12040186},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record CAN2002) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/CAN2002/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_CAN2002,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record CAN2002},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/CAN2002/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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