MTORC1/2 signaling pathway in cancer research

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a critical effective protein in the downstream of PI3K-Akt pathway. When activated by growth factors, nutrition or energy signals in eukaryotes, mTOR can accelerate the synthesis of protein, which is beneficial to the growth of tumor cells. Thus, mTOR is an important target of cancer treatment. Rapamycin (Sirolimus) and its analogues have specific inhibitory effects on mTOR and are used in clinical treatment of many types of cancer. Due to the high heterogeneity and complexity of tumors, some show resistance to mTOR inhibitors. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the mechanism of mTOR pathway in tumor proliferation and survival, and to further improve the treatment efficacy. Key words: Sirolimus; Neoplasms; Therapeutics; Mammals; Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2