Abstract
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinases are emerging as master regulators of cellular metabolism [1]. During an infection, pathogens seek nutrition to survive and often exploit host machinery that controls cellular metabolic processes. Moreover, pathogens can subvert host metabolism by targeting mTOR complexes to gain a replicative advantage. Conversely, host cells regulate the mTOR axis to facilitate pathogen clearance. Intriguingly, in addition to their role in the regulation of metabolism, mTOR complexes regulate both the quality and quantity of innate and adaptive immune responses. Here we propose that drugs strategically targeting mTOR, perhaps in opposing ways in distinct cell types, could influence the immunological outcome of host–pathogen interactions and also act as effective antibiotics by limiting pathogen replication.
Highlights
During infections, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses are cross regulated to achieve host protection while limiting pathologic insult [2]
We opine that recent advances in both gene therapy and nanotechnology [9,10] will enable investigators to alter Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity distinctly in specific cell types, and these will become potent antibiotics by limiting pathogen replication and augmenting protective immune responses
Signaling pathways initiated by insulin and TNFa binding, which evolutionarily developed after mTOR, have co-opted parts of mTOR signaling machinery to deliver their biological effect
Summary
Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses are cross regulated to achieve host protection while limiting pathologic insult [2]. This synchronized and swift mounting of an immune response is metabolically altering and demanding [1]. We opine that recent advances in both gene therapy and nanotechnology [9,10] will enable investigators to alter mTOR activity distinctly in specific cell types, and these will become potent antibiotics by limiting pathogen replication and augmenting protective immune responses. Whereas amino acid sequences of the core mTOR signaling proteins are well conserved, the signaling nodes that make use of the mTOR complexes have evolved considerably as eukaryotes have transitioned from single-cell organisms to humans.
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