Abstract

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a kinase that functions as a master switch between catabolic and anabolic metabolism and as such is a target for the design of anticancer agents. The most established mTOR inhibitors — rapamycin and its derivatives — showed long-lasting objective tumour responses in clinical trials, with CCI-779 being a first-in-class mTOR inhibitor that improved the survival of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. This heralded the beginning of extensive clinical programmes to further evaluate mTOR inhibitors in several tumour types. Here we review the clinical development of this drug class and look at future prospects for incorporating these agents into multitarget or multimodality strategies against cancer.

Author affiliations

1. Service Inter Hospitalier de Cancrologie (SIHC), Beaujon University Hospital, 100 Boulevard du General Leclerc, 92118 Clichy Cedex, France.
2. CNRS-UMR 8125, Institute Gustave-Roussy, 39 rue Camille-Desmoulins 94805 Villejuif Cedex, France.

Correspondence to: Eric Raymond¹ Email: eric.raymond@bjn.aphp.fr

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