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Translation initiation: a critical signalling node in cancer

Francis Robert1, Jerry Pelletier

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Goodman cancer centre, McGill University, McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, Room 810, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada.

Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets
|August 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is frequently activated in cancer, driving cell growth. Inhibiting mTOR and translation initiation offers a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Signaling

Background:

  • Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates protein synthesis, crucial for cell growth and proliferation.
  • Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway and translation initiation is implicated in various human cancers.
  • mTOR signaling is a convergence point for multiple oncogenic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on mTOR pathway activation in human cancers.
  • To highlight the role of mTOR and translation initiation in oncogenesis.
  • To evaluate targeting mTOR as a therapeutic strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of genome-wide analyses and signaling pathway research.
  • Analysis of the role of mTOR, S6K, and eIF4E/4E-BP in cancer.
  • Synthesis of evidence implicating mTOR in the transformation phenotype.

Main Results:

  • Widespread activation of mTOR/eIF4E is observed in transformed cells.
  • mTOR pathway activation contributes significantly to the cancer cell phenotype.
  • Inhibiting mTOR shows potential as an anti-proliferative approach.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting translation initiation is a logical therapeutic strategy for broad-acting anti-cancer effects.
  • mTOR pathway activation is a common feature across various cancers.
  • Further research into mTOR inhibitors is warranted for cancer therapy.

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