AXL inhibitor SGI-7079 suppresses the growth of retinoblastoma via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Among children, retinoblastoma (RB) is the leading primary ocular tumor, and AXL emerges as a significant player in tumors. Our research showed AXL's expression was elevated in clinical retinoblastoma tumors relative to normal retinas. This upregulation was further validated through analysis of the GEO database. In vitro, SGI-7079 (AXL inhibitor) reduced RB cell line growth in a manner that depended on time and concentration, resulting in G2/M phase accumulation and apoptosis, and suppressed the expression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In vivo, SGI-7079 suppressed xenograft tumor growth. In summary, the research indicates that SGI-7079 might become a therapeutic strategy for RB.