Clinical development of AKT inhibitors and associated predictive biomarkers to guide patient treatment in cancer medicine

The serine/threonine kinase AKT is a critical effector of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling cascade and has a pivotal role in cell growth, proliferation, survival, and metabolism. AKT is one of the most commonly activated pathways in human cancer and dysregulation of AKT-dependent pathways is associated with the development and maintenance of a range of solid tumors. There are multiple small-molecule inhibitors targeting different components of the PI3K/AKT pathway currently at various stages of clinical development, in addition to new combination strategies aiming to boost the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs. Correlative and translational studies have been undertaken in the context of clinical trials investigating AKT inhibitors, however the identification of predictive biomarkers of response and resistance to AKT inhibition remains an unmet need. In this review, we discuss the biological function and activation of AKT, discuss its contribution to tumor development and progression, and review the efficacy and toxicity data from clinical trials, including both AKT inhibitor monotherapy and combination strategies with other agents. We also discuss the promise and challenges associated with the development of AKT inhibitors and associated predictive biomarkers of response and resistance.