Discovery of the PTEN Tumor Suppressor and Its Connection to the PI3K and AKT Oncogenes

PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10) was discovered over 20 years ago in 1997 and linked to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT oncogenes the following year. The discovery of PTEN emerged from the linked concepts of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that cause and prevent cancer and the fields of tumor viruses and human cancer genetics from which these two concepts arose. While much has been learned since, the initial discovery and characterization, including the discovery that PTEN is a regulator of PI3K and AKT, provide the foundation on which we continue to build our knowledge. To provide the context in which these cancer genes were discovered, background information that led to their discovery will also be discussed, which will hopefully be a useful guide for readers seeking to build on the work of others.