Targeting mTOR-mediated survival signals in anticancer therapeutic strategies.

An important component of tumor progression is the generation of survival signals that overcome default apoptotic programs. In principle, survival signals are ideal targets for anticancer therapeutic strategies because blocking these signals leads to the death of cells that are dependent upon them. A common target of survival signals is mTOR. Survival signals generated by both phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and phospholipase D target mTOR. Suppression of these mTOR-mediated survival signals provides the opportunity to reactivate default apoptotic pathways in cancer cells and allow the cancer cells to die on their own. In this review, the potential for anticancer strategies that target mTOR-mediated survival signals is explored.