mTOR signalling in health and disease 2010

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein kinase that function as a master switch between anabolic and catabolic metabolism in a signalling pathway that regulates many fundamental features of cell growth and division. mTOR integrates and coordinates diverse signalling information mediated by growth factors, nutrient availability and energy status via two functionally distinct signalling complexes, called mTOR Complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2). Dysregulation of this pathway in various human diseases, including diabetes, neurodegeneration and cancer, has led to the emergence of mTOR kinase as a promising therapeutic target.

Rapamycin and its derivatives are the most established mTOR inhibitors, which have exhibited potent immunosuppressive (organ transplantation), antiproliferative (post-stenting restenosis) and anti-cancer (advanced renal cell carcinoma) effects in numerous preclinical and clinical studies. Resistance to rapamycin is a common phenomena in cancer cell lines and tumors. Therefore, one of the most exciting developments in this field of research is the discovery of highly potent and selective ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitors, which are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.

This meeting provides a unique forum for scientists and clinicians from academia and industry to review the remarkable progress on mTOR signalling and drug discovery, and to discuss the opportunities and directions of where the field is moving.

Topics:

• mTOR signalling networks
• Growth regulation
• Nutrient sensing
• Regulation of autophagy
• LKB signalling to mTOR
• Crosstalk with signalling pathways
• Drugging the mTOR pathway

This meeting is dedicated to the memory of Professor Kazuyoshi Yonezawa who worked in the field of signal transduction throughout his career in research. Professor Yonezawa made ground-breaking discoveries which have deepened significantly our understanding of the PI3K/mTOR signalling in health and disease.