Targeting the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in Cancer Therapy: Lessons from Past and Future Perspectives

Cancers

Marc Dufour¹  Anne Dormond-Meuwly¹  Nicolas Demartines¹ 

[1] Department of Visceral Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Pavillon 3, Av. de Beaumont, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland;

关键词: cancer;    mTOR;    rapalogs;    signaling;    therapy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers3022478

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Over the last decade, extensive studies have been made to understand the role played by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in cancer. Knowledge in this field has been gained from discoveries in basic research as well as from observations made in patients treated with allosteric mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin. Despite promising preclinical studies, targeting mTOR in cancer therapy has shown limited clinical benefits so far. However, recent findings have revealed the complexity of the functions of mTOR in cancer and have helped develop new strategies to improve the anticancer efficacy of mTOR inhibitors. In particular, a complex network between mTOR and other signaling pathways has been identified that influences the anticancer efficacy of mTOR inhibitors. In addition, an emerging role of mTOR in the tumor microenvironment has been suggested. In this review, we confront the major findings that have been made in the past, both in experimental settings as well as in clinical trials. We further review the strategies that have been designed to further improve the efficacy of therapies targeting mTOR.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.