PTEN-Long

PTEN-Long is a naturally occurring, cell-permeable translational variant of the PTEN tumor suppressor protein. It is generated via an alternative translation initiation site upstream of the canonical PTEN start codon, resulting in an additional 173-amino acid N-terminal extension. This extension contains a secretion signal and a cell-penetrating peptide domain, which allows the protein to be secreted from cells and subsequently enter neighboring cells. Once internalized, PTEN-Long functions as a phosphatase that dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), thereby antagonizing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This pathway is frequently hyperactivated in cancers where the canonical PTEN protein is lost or mutated. PTEN-Long is being investigated as a protein replacement therapy to restore tumor suppressive activity in PTEN-deficient cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, and has shown potential in combination with chemotherapeutic agents like gemcitabine.

Other names

PTEN-LongPTEN-L