Cited by 830PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancerMetabolism, Diabetes, and CancerTuberous Sclerosis Complex Research

The mTOR Signalling Pathway in Human Cancer

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Pópulo, Helena, Lopes, José Manuel, Soares, Paula·2012·International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Abstract

The conserved serine/threonine kinase mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin), a downstream effector of the PI3K/AKT pathway, forms two distinct multiprotein complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1 is sensitive to rapamycin, activates S6K1 and 4EBP1, which are involved in mRNA translation. It is activated by diverse stimuli, such as growth factors, nutrients, energy and stress signals, and essential signalling pathways, such as PI3K, MAPK and AMPK, in order to control cell growth, proliferation and survival. mTORC2 is considered resistant to rapamycin and is generally insensitive to nutrients and energy signals. It activates PKC-α and AKT and regulates the actin cytoskeleton. Deregulation of multiple elements of the mTOR pathway (PI3K amplification/mutation, PTEN loss of function, AKT overexpression, and S6K1, 4EBP1 and eIF4E overexpression) has been reported in many types of cancers, particularly in melanoma, where alterations in major components of the mTOR pathway were reported to have significant effects on tumour progression. Therefore, mTOR is an appealing therapeutic target and mTOR inhibitors, including the rapamycin analogues deforolimus, everolimus and temsirolimus, are submitted to clinical trials for treating multiple cancers, alone or in combination with inhibitors of other pathways. Importantly, temsirolimus and everolimus were recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, PNET and giant cell astrocytoma. Small molecules that inhibit mTOR kinase activity and dual PI3K-mTOR inhibitors are also being developed. In this review, we aim to survey relevant research, the molecular mechanisms of signalling, including upstream activation and downstream effectors, and the role of mTOR in cancer, mainly in melanoma.

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Authors
Pópulo, H., Lopes, J. M., & Soares, P.
Affiliations
Universidade do Porto (PT)
Corresponding author
Soares, Paula
Venue
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2012-02-10
Volume
13
Issue
2
Pages
1886-1918
ISSN
1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1965766554
Cited by
830
References
239
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 65 · 2022: 84 · 2021: 80 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 69 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 72 · 2016: 55 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 54 · 2012: 22
FWCI
4.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/31369/2006)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research
Keywords
mTOR signaling, mTORC1, mTORC2, PI3K/Akt signaling, rapamycin, S6K1, 4E-BP1, mRNA translation, protein kinase C alpha, actin cytoskeleton, PTEN loss, melanoma, mTOR inhibitors, temsirolimus, everolimus, renal cell carcinoma, giant cell astrocytoma, PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor, cancer therapy
MeSH terms
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1, Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2, Animals, Humans, Longevity, Melanoma, Neoplasms, Skin Neoplasms, Signal Transduction, Multiprotein Complexes, Growth and Development, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

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