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An evolving role for DEPTOR in tumor development and progression

Zhiwei Wang1, Jiateng Zhong, Hiroyuki Inuzuka

  • 1Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.)
|June 30, 2012
PubMed

Insights

DEPTOR, an mTOR inhibitor, plays a key role in cancer development. Its stability, regulated by SCF(β-TrCP), impacts mTOR signaling, offering a potential target for novel anticancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Deregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is common in human cancers.
  • The precise regulatory mechanisms of the mTOR pathway are not fully understood.
  • DEPTOR has been identified as an endogenous inhibitor of mTOR activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on DEPTOR's function in cancer pathogenesis.
  • To explore DEPTOR's role in cellular processes relevant to cancer, including growth, apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance.
  • To discuss the potential of targeting DEPTOR as an anticancer strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on DEPTOR and mTOR signaling.
  • Analysis of DEPTOR's involvement in key cancer-related cellular processes.
  • Summary of evidence linking DEPTOR stability and cancer progression.

Main Results:

  • DEPTOR inhibits mTOR activity and plays a critical role in human malignancies.
  • DEPTOR stability is regulated by the SCF(β-TrCP) E3 ubiquitin ligase.
  • Disrupted DEPTOR degradation can lead to mTOR hyperactivation in cancer.

Conclusions:

  • DEPTOR is implicated in various aspects of cancer pathogenesis, including cell growth, apoptosis, autophagy, EMT, and drug resistance.
  • Targeting DEPTOR presents a promising novel strategy for cancer therapy.

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