<img alt="Akt/Pkb信號通路圖" akt="" pkb信號通路圖"="" data-cke-saved-src="http://www.tufts-mori。。ｏｒｇ/tsichlis/TsichlisFig1.jpg" src="http://www.tufts-mori。。ｏｒｇ/tsichlis/TsichlisFig1.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle; border: 0px;">

Akt也被稱為蛋白激酶B(protein kinase B，PKB)，是一種分子量約為60kDa的絲/蛋白激酶，處于多條信號通路的重要交叉點(diǎn)，可調(diào)節(jié)細(xì)胞因子、生長因子和癌基因Ras激活的細(xì)胞生存信號，在真核生物的調(diào)控網(wǎng)絡(luò)中普遍存在。Akt信號通路與惡性腫瘤、糖尿病、類風(fēng)濕關(guān)節(jié)炎等多種疾病的發(fā)生發(fā)展密切相關(guān)，也因此越來越受關(guān)注。

Since its discovery as a proto-oncoGENE nearly ten years ago, the serine/threonine kinase Akt, also known as protein kinase B (PKB), has become a major focus of attention because of its critical regulatory role in diverse cellular processes, including cancer progression. The Akt cascade is activated by receptor tyrosine kinases, integrins, B- and T-cell receptors, cytokine receptors, G-protein coupled receptors, and other stimuli that induce the accumulation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5 triphosphates, (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3), by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). The three Akt isoforms (Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3) thus mediate many of the downstream events regulated by PI3K. For instance, Akt is a major regulator of insulin signaling and glucose metabolism. Akt controls cell growththrough its effects on the mTOR and p70 S6 kinase pathways, as well as the cell cycle and cell proLiferation through its direct action on the CDK inhibitors, p21 and p27, and indirectly by affecting the levels of cyclin D1 and p53. Akt is also major mediator of cell survival by directly inhibiting different pro-apoptotic signals such as Bad and the Forkhead family of transcription factors, or indirectly by modulating two central regulators of cell death such as p53 and NF-£eB. Akt signaling in endothelial cells plays also critical roles in the regulation of vascular homeostasis and angiogenesis. These findings have turned Akt/PKB into important therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer, diabetes and stroke