Targeting the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite advances in its prevention and management, the prognosis of patients with lung cancer remains poor. Therefore, much attention is being given to factors that contribute to the development of this disease, the mechanisms that drive oncogenesis and tumor progression and the search for novel targets that could lead to the development of more effective treatments. One cellular pathway implicated in lung cancer development and progression is that of the mammalian target of rapamycin. Studies involving human tissues have linked lung cancer with abnormalities in this pathway. Furthermore, studies in vitro and in vivo using animal models of lung cancer reveal that targeting this pathway might represent an effective means of treating this disease. As a result, there is significant effort invested in the development of drugs targeting mammalian target of rapamycin and related pathways in the clinical setting.