MTOR inhibitors

What are MTOR inhibitors?

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors block the activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin. Mammalian target of rapamycin is a protein kinase, which regulates growth factors that stimulate cell growth and angiogenesis. In certain cancers the mTOR pathway is more active.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are used in treatment of renal cancer and is being studied for use in other types of cancers. More benefits are being seen when MTOR inhibitors are combined with other chemotherapy agents.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors include sirolimus (rapamycin) and everolimus (Figure 1). This class of immunosuppressants act by binding to and inhibiting mTOR, thereby inhibiting cytokine receptor signal transduction arresting the cell cycle in the G1-S phase.

The mTOR kinase is frequently referred to as the master regulator of this pathway. Alterations in mTOR signaling are closely associated with dysregulation of autophagy, inflammation, and cell growth and survival, leading to the development of lung fibrosis.

The mechanistic (previously referred to as mammalian) Target Of Rapamycin(mTOR) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is inhibited by rapamycin, a compound produced by bacteria originally isolated from the soil of Easter Island that inhibits the proliferation of eukaryotic cells (Vezina et al., 1975).

Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 Promotes the Expression of Genes Encoding Electron Transport Chain Proteins and Stimulates Oxidative Phosphorylation in Primary Human Trophoblast Cells by Regulating Mitochondrial Biogenesis.