The mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway: twists and turns in the road to cancer therapy.
The immunosuppressive drug rapamycin played a key role in the functional characterization of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), an unusual protein kinase that coordinates growth factor and nutrient availability with cell growth and proliferation. Several rapamycin-related compounds are now in various stages of clinical development as anticancer agents. This article highlights recent advances in our understanding of the mTOR signaling pathway and the implications of these findings for the clinical application of mTOR inhibitors in cancer patients.
Abraham
Robert T
RT
Department of Oncology Discovery, Wyeth, Pearl River, New York 10960, USA. Abrahar@wyeth.com
Gibbons
James J
JJ
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D049108:Cell Enlargement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011494:Protein Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases