Regulation and mechanism of mTOR pathway in β-cell function and survival / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

mTOR pathway plays a critical role in cell proliferation, growth and metabolism. This pathway is composed of two different large protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which have their distinct downstream effects. Its inhibitor, rapamycin, has been proved to cause β-cell damage and glucose intolerance. Furthermore, various transgenic mouse models and ex vivo studies have revealed that mTORC1 and mTORC2 are both essential for maintaining normal β cell mass and function, whereas the underlying molecular mechanism and the relevance of the whole mTOR signaling to pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes remain to be explored and further clarified.