[Advancement of insulin effecting signaling pathway of leukemia cell proliferation].

Many reports have documented a role of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) as growth factors in many cancers. The sequence and structure of insulin receptor (IR) and IGF receptor (IGF-1R) are highly similar. Both receptors are overexpressed in leukemia cells.Studies indicate that insulin can enhance the signal of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathways by activating IR or IGF-1R or hybrid IR/IGF-IR receptors, resulting in the proliferation of leukemia cells. High concentration of insulin may inhibit the growth of leukemia cells, the mechanism of which remains to be unclear. Inhibiting IR and IGF-IR can diminish the proliferation of leukemia cells. Therefore, the assumption of IR/IGF-1R as a potential therapeutic target in leukemia appears reasonable. This article summarizes the recent advancement associated with the signaling pathway of insulin effecting the proliferation of leukemia cells.