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Therapeutic potential of mTOR inhibitors for targeting cancer stem cells
Author(s) -
Francipane Maria Giovanna,
Lagasse Eric
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/bcp.12844
Subject(s) - pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , cancer stem cell , discovery and development of mtor inhibitors , stem cell , cancer research , cancer , cancer cell , medicine , pharmacology , biology , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is aberrantly activated in many cancer types. As the intricate network of regulatory mechanisms controlling mTOR activity is uncovered, more refined drugs are designed and tested in clinical trials. While first generation mTOR inhibitors have failed to show clinical efficacy due partly to the feedback relief of oncogenetic circuits, newly developed inhibitors show greater promise as anti‐cancer agents. An effective drug must defeat the cancer stem cells (CSCs) while sparing the normal stem cells. Due to its opposing role on normal and malignant stem cells, mTOR lends itself very well as a therapeutic target. Indeed, a preferential inhibitory effect on CSCs has already been shown for some mTOR inhibitors. These results provide a compelling rationale for the clinical development of mTOR‐targeted therapies.