PTEN Antibodies and Cancer Research

Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) antibodies are important tools for cancer research. PTEN is an important tumor suppressor but, in mutated form, is also expressed in a high number of cancers. We at Novus Biologicals have a wide PTEN antibody database, with 50 antibodies, proteins and lysates to choose from.

PTEN encodes a lipid phosphotase protein (a phosphatidylinositol-3, 4, 5-trisphosphate 3-phosphatase) which is involved in cell cycle regulation, controlling cell growth and proliferation. This also allows it to act as a tumor suppressor. The protein has a similar structure to the protein tyrosine phosphatases, a group of dual-specificity enzymes which regulate phosphorylation of cell-signalling cascades. However, it differs in showing preferential dephosphorylation, negatively regulating phosphatidylinositol-3, 4, 5-trisphosphate (PIP3) by dephosphorylation at the D position.

The function of PIP3 is to activate downstream signalling of AKT, which is known to regulate a number of cell signalling pathways involved with cell growth and survival. This includes the Akt/PKB pathway, which is implicated in a number of cancers. PIP3 dephosphorylation enables PTEN to negatively regulate the Akt/PKB pathway, and in this way control cell proliferation and suppress tumour growth.

An antibodyresearch study published by DeFeo Jones, et al. in 2005 showed that selective inhibition of the Akt/PKB pathway was important in tumor suppression, sensitizing tumor cells to apoptotic stimuli. The absence of PTEN function, for example by mutation, can lead to enhanced Akt activity and resistance to apoptosis – an important factor in tumor progression. In March 2010, Leone, Ostrowski, et al. showed a strong link between inherited PTEN mutations and Cowden syndrome, a condition associated with a high incidence of cancers.

PTEN is one of the most frequently mutated tumor suppressor genes in human cancer, and our PTEN antibody database continues to play an important part in cancer studies.