Sphingosine kinase 1 overexpression is regulated by signaling through PI3K, AKT2, and mTOR in imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cells

These results demonstrate that SphK1 is upregulated in imatinib-resistant K562 cells by a pathway contingent on a phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT2/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. We propose that SphK1 plays an important role in development of acquired resistance to imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia cell lines.