The potential role of mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of endocrine tumors.
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a main protein kinase in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/p70S6K signaling pathway, is an important intracellular mediator involved in multiple cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, longevity, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis. Alterations of the normal activity of mTOR and of mTOR-related kinases in this pathway have been found in a diversity of human tumors, suggesting that mTOR may be an attractive target for the development of new anti-cancer therapies. The main objective of this article is to summarize the available pre-clinical and clinical data regarding a possible role of mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of different endocrine cancers.
Grozinsky-Glasberg
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Institute of Endocrinology and Felsenstein Research Center, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Shimon
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D000818:Animals; D004701:Endocrine Gland Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins; C546842:MTOR protein, human