Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P31749 (AKT)
 22,954 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Despite optimal anticoagulation and blood pressure control, patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) nephropathy frequently progress to kidney failure, and recurrence after transplantation is common. The mTORC (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex) pathway was recently identified as a potential intermediate and a therapeutic target in vascular lesions associated with APS nephropathy. However, these results were derived from the retrospective analysis of a small cohort of patients receiving sirolimus after kidney transplantation. Therefore, they warranted external validation and the demonstration of the potential benefit of sirolimus in native kidney APS nephropathy. We report a patient with active APS nephropathy lesions occurring on native kidneys, in which endothelial mTORC activation was substantiated at the molecular level. Treatment with sirolimus was shown on a repeat kidney biopsy to successfully inhibit the AKT/mTORC pathway and was associated with significant improvement in kidney function and lesions of vasculopathy. Drug tolerance was excellent during the entire follow-up. This case validates and extends previous observations in kidney transplant recipients and demonstrates that endothelial activation of the AKT/mTORC pathway occurs in the damaged renal vasculature of native kidneys in APS nephropathy. These findings further support the potential of precision medicine and the use of mTORC activation as a biomarker of disease activity and as therapeutic target in patients with APS nephropathy.
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PMID:mTORC Pathway Activation and Effect of Sirolimus on Native Kidney Antiphospholipid Syndrome Nephropathy: A Case Report. 3181 Jul 32

Despite the widespread use of antiplatelets and anticoagulants, women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) may face pregnancy complications associated with placental dysplasia. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, including vascular APS; however, their role in obstetric APS is unclear. Herein, we investigated the role of NETs by quantifying cell-free DNA and NET marker levels. Live-cell imaging was used to visualize NET formation, and MAPK signalling pathway proteins were analysed. Cell migration, invasion and tube formation assays were performed to observe the effects of NETs on trophoblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The concentrations of cell-free DNA and NETs in sera of pregnant patients with APS were elevated compared with that of healthy controls (HCs) matched to gestational week. APS neutrophils were predisposed to spontaneous NET release and IgG purified from the patients (APS-IgG) induced neutrophils from HCs to release NETs. Additionally, APS-IgG NET induction was abolished with inhibitors of reactive oxygen species, AKT, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2. Moreover, NETs were detrimental to trophoblasts and HUVECs. In summary, APS-IgG-induced NET formation deserves further investigation as a potential novel therapeutic target in obstetrical APS.
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PMID:Antiphospholipid antibody-activated NETs exacerbate trophoblast and endothelial cell injury in obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome. 3236 73