mTOR Inhibitors in the Treatment of Cancer

Abstract

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a highly conserved in evolution serine/threonine kinase belonging to the phosphatidylinositol kinase related protein kinases family. mTOR plays a central role in regulation of a number of cellular function inculuding especialy cell growth, metabolism and proliferation and in ensuring cellular homeostasis. Once of basic signalling pathway that has been described as important in cancer including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/kinase cascade. These pathway are frequently deteriorated in cancer, and therefore mTOR inhibition is a important antitumor target. mTOR inhibitors include rapamycin (i.e. sirolimus) and its derivatives; temsirolimus, everolimus and deforolimus (ridaforolimus). Rapamycin and analogs inhibit proliferation of cancer cells in both in vitro and in vivo. mTOR inhibitors have the important potential to provide anticancer activity in many tumor types.