title: Shedding new light on neurodegenerative diseases through the mammalian target of rapamycin.
abstract: Neurodegenerative disorders affect a significant portion of the world's population leading to either disability or death for almost 30 million individuals worldwide. One novel therapeutic target that may offer promise for multiple disease entities that involve Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, trauma, stroke, and tumors of the nervous system is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR signaling is dependent upon the mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes that are composed of mTOR and several regulatory proteins including the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1, hamartin/TSC2, tuberin). Through a number of integrated cell signaling pathways that involve those of mTORC1 and mTORC2 as well as more novel signaling tied to cytokines, Wnt, and forkhead, mTOR can foster stem cellular proliferation, tissue repair and longevity, and synaptic growth by modulating mechanisms that foster both apoptosis and autophagy. Yet, mTOR through its proliferative capacity may sometimes be detrimental to central nervous system recovery and even promote tumorigenesis. Further knowledge of mTOR and the critical pathways governed by this serine/threonine protein kinase can bring new light for neurodegeneration and other related diseases that currently require new and robust treatments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Signaling, Cancer Center, F 1220, New Jersey Health Sciences University, 205 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.
authors.forename: Zhao Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Yan Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Shaohui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maiese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases