Importantly, an increased Akt-mTOR signaling, as observed in atrophic COPD patients, may also represent an unsuccessful attempt trying to restore muscle mass [44], which agrees with ICU patient transcriptome data indicating a sustained protein synthesis similar to that in healthy controls in concert with a transcription program unable to compensate for enhanced protein breakdown [23], [45]. Here, MTOR is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.