Influence of AKT on progesterone action in endometrial diseases

Abstract

Progesterone plays an essential role in the maintenance of the endometrium; it prepares the endometrium for pregnancy, promotes decidualization, and inhibits estrogen-dependent proliferation. Progesterone function is often dysregulated in endometrial disease states. In addition, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is often overactive in endometrial pathologies and promotes the survival and proliferation of the diseased cells. Understanding how AKT influences progesterone action is critical in improving hormone-based therapies in endometrial pathologies. Here, we summarize recent studies investigating the crosstalk between the AKT pathway and progesterone receptor function in endometriosis and endometrial cancer.

Keywords: cancer; endometriosis; endometrium; progesterone/progesterone receptor; signal transduction.

FIG. 1

AKT (Akt)-steroid hormone receptor crosstalk. The influence of AKT on steroid hormone receptor (SHR) actions is summarized here. There are multiple mechanisms by which AKT can modulate SHR action, including influencing SHR proteasomal degradation, ligand binding, nuclear translocation, transcriptional activity, interaction with cofactors, and influencing cell proliferation and viability. This figure was produced in part by using Servier Medical Art (www.servier.com) under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.