Complex Systems Biology Approach in Connecting PI3K-Akt and NF-κB Pathways in Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Phosphatidylinositol 3′-OH kinase (PI3K)-Akt and transcription factor NF-κB are important molecules involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. Both PI3K-Akt and Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-κB) are involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer, however, the crosstalk and molecules connecting these pathway remains unclear. A multilevel system representation of the PI3K-Akt and NF-κB pathways was constructed to determine which signaling components contribute to adaptive behavior and coordination. In silico experiments conducted using PI3K-Akt and NF-κB, mathematical models were modularized using biological functionality and were validated using a cell culture system. Our analysis demonstrates that a component representing the IκB kinase (IKK) complex can coordinate these two pathways. It is expected that interruption of this molecule could represent a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 26, 2019
Source ID
10.3390/cells8030201

Entities

People

  • Eswar Shankar
  • Jayant Avva
  • Meenakshi Shukla
  • Michael Weis
  • Sanjay Gupta
  • Sanjeev Shukla
  • Sree Sreenath

Organizations

  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics