Selective Akt inhibition by MK-2206 eleminates colorectal cancer-initiating stem cells. Homo sapiens

To identify the regulatory mechanisms and signalling pathways involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, we compared the transcriptome of patient-derived tumor-initiating cells (TICs) with their normal stem cell counterparts of the same patient. This study demonstrates the relevance of AKT-signalling in colonic TIC proliferation and survival. Functional testing uncovered the selective AKT-inhibitor MK-2206 as a potential therapeutic for TIC-directed therapy in CRC. Overall design: Gene expression profiling of tumor and normal tissues from 5 patients.