mTOR as the therapeutic target of vascular proliferative diseases

The abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is a key pathological characteristic of vascular proliferative diseases. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in regulating cell growth, motility, proliferation, and survival, as well as gene expression in response to hypoxia, growth factors, and nutrients. Increasing evidence shows that mTOR also regulates VSMC proliferation in vascular proliferative diseases and that mTOR inhibitors, such as rapamycin, effectively restrain VSMC proliferation. However, the molecular mechanisms linking mTOR to vascular proliferative diseases remain elusive. In our review, we summarize the key roles of the mTOR and the recent discoveries in vascular proliferative diseases, focusing on the therapeutic potential of mTOR inhibitors to target mTOR signaling pathway for the treatment of vascular proliferative diseases. Herein, we discuss mTOR inhibitors as promising candidates to prevent VSMC-associated vascular proliferative diseases.