Customer Publication
Changes in Melanoma Cell Morphology Following Inhibition of Cell Invasion by Third-Generation mTOR Kinase Inhibitors
Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025)
Research Areas: Cancer Research
Summary: The authors investigated how different classes of inhibitors targeting the PI3K/AKT/ mTOR and MEK pathways affect the invasive behaviour of melanoma cells and simultaneously change their morphology. They treated three human melanoma lines (one primary, two metastatic) with a panel of mTOR inhibitors (including first-generation allosteric, ATP-competitive mTORC1/2 and dual PI3K/mTOR agents) alone and combined with a MEK1/2 inhibitor. They found that especially the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors plus MEK inhibition most strongly reduced invasion, motility, metalloproteinase activity and switch EMT-marker expression. They used HoloMonitor to quantify morphological features (optical thickness, volume, roughness, shape irregularity) and motility in real time: inhibitor-treated cells became thinner, smaller in optical volume, smoother and more regular in shape, and with reduced motility, consistent with a shift toward a less invasive phenotype.