GSK3 (Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3) is a ubiquitously expressed, highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase found in all eukaryotes. It is now known that GSK3b functions in diverse cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, motility and survival.

On cancer cell lines, GSK3b modulation, in particular with pharmacological inhibitors, induces decrease in proliferation and survival, and induction of apoptosis. Those mechanisms are related to the ability of GSK3 to modulate different pathways such as apoptotic pathways (BCL-2, XIAP), cell cycle (CDK inhibitors p27Kip1), β-catenin and NFκB, PI3K/AKT pathways. 

PTEN is one of the most commonly mutated tumor suppressor genes. It is an antagonist for many cellular growth, proliferation and survival processes. When mutated or deleted, it causes cancers of the prostate, breast, colon, and brain. 

PTEN is a key tumor suppressor that inactivates PI3K, a downstream effector of the EGFR cascade. Mutations resulting in PTEN loss lead to uncontrolled activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway that may result in resistance to EGFR-blockade.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MAP2K) belong to a family of serine/threonine kinase also known as MEKs or MKKs. The genome encodes seven members that regulate the activity of downstream MAP kinases .The MAP kinase pathway is among the most frequently deregulated in human cancer. Even though the frequency of mutation of MAP2K is around 1% upstream activators such as Raf or Ras are mutated in respectively 20% and 30% of all human cancers.

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is known as a ubiquitously expressed house- keeping gene important in biochemical salvage of both adenine and methionine. The MTAP gene is localized on the human chromosomal region 9p21, a region often deleted in several kind of cancer. Homozygous deletions occur frequently and are associated with the loss of tumor suppressor genes as p16 and p15.

The RPS6K family is involved in numerous pathways, many of which are central to carcinogenesis.

RPS6KB1 and B2, also known as p70-beta or p54, share 80% homology and many of the same functions. They are involved in cell growth, cell proliferation and regulation based on their activation by growth factors such as EGF, PDGF and insulin; and promote protein synthesis in response to mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling. RPS6KB1 and B2 are also involved in the regulation of insulin.