Bangyan L. Stiles, the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at USC Mann, received a $559,000 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) grant for research advancing potential treatments for liver cancer.
The project, “Explore Isoform Specific Functions of AKTs for Therapeutic Targets of Liver Cancer,” examines how two forms of a protein known as AKT—AKT1 and AKT2—affect liver cells and bile duct cells. AKTs are mitogenic kinases, enzymes that promote cell growth. While ample inhibitors are developed to target AKT as well as its up- and down-stream regulators for cancer treatment, their use in cancer treatment has been limited by side effects, including liver toxicity and hyperglycemia. By clarifying the distinct roles of AKT1 and AKT2, Stiles and her team aim to identify the specific AKT for treatment of liver cancer while reducing unwanted side effects.
The work builds on Stiles’ research into the molecular mechanisms that contribute to disease. A noted expert in molecular biology, she initially focused on metabolism and the molecules that regulate it. That research led her to investigate how metabolic changes can contribute to cancer development, particularly in the liver.
One major focus of her laboratory is understanding how fat accumulation and obesity affect the development of liver cancer. In addition to studying AKT-driven signals that link metabolism and cancer, her team is investigating inflammation as another potential link between metabolic changes and cancer. She also collaborates with clinicians at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to pursue potential treatments targeting molecules identified through her research.
“The overarching goal of our work is finding treatment and management options for cancer patients,” Stiles says.
The new DOD-supported study of AKT1 and AKT2 adds another avenue for identifying the molecular vulnerabilities of liver cancer—and, ultimately, potential ways to target them.