Targeting the mTOR pathway in tumor malignancy

• Published in: Current cancer drug targets Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 267
• Main Authors: Cheng, Hengmiao, Walls, Marlena, Baxi, Sangita M, Yin, Min-Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.03.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - metabolism; Humans; Isoenzymes - antagonists & inhibitors; Isoenzymes - metabolism; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism
• ISSN: 1873-5576
• DOI: 10.2174/1568009611313030005

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a critical role in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation,and metabolism by integrating growth factor stimulation and energy/nutrient input through a complex signaling network.The mTOR kinase is a part of two structurally and functionally distinct multiple protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is rapamycin-sensitive and mediates temporal control of cell growth by regulating several cellular processes, such as translation, transcription, and nutrient transport while the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is in sensitive to rapamycin and is involved in spatial control of cell growth via cytoskeleton regulation. Here we discuss the mechanism of mTOR regulation in tumor malignancy through a variety of signaling pathways and the potential of mTOR inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.