mTORC1 tagged posts

Laboratory research finds a low-protein diet can enhance standard treatment for colon cancer. A dietary change could be a key to enhancing colon cancer treatment, a new study from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center finds.

Cancer cells need nutrients to survive and grow. One of the most important nutrient sensing molecules in a cell is called mTORC1. Often called a master regulator of cell growth, it allows cells to sense different nutrients and thereby grow and proliferate. When nutrients are limited, cells dial down nutrient sensing cascade and turn off mTORC1.

While mTORC1 is known to be hyperactive in colon cancer, the k...

3D model of the protein complex mTORC1. Credit: University of Basel, Biozentrum

For a long time it has been known protein TOR – Target of Rapamycin – controls cell growth and is involved in the development of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Researchers have now examined the structure of mammalian TOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in more detail.

About 25 years ago, Prof. Michael Hall discovered the protein “Target of Rapamycin” (TOR) at the Biozentrum. It is one of the most studied proteins of the protein kinase family, an important family of regulatory proteins that control many cellular processes. TOR, in mammals called mTOR, is very important for cellular signalling and is implicated in various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegeneration...