MTOR and neoplasm: Mutational activation of pathway components may inappropriately activate PI3K and the downstream target proteins, Akt and p-Akt, subsequently resulting in the phosphorylation and activation of mTOR/GSK3, mouse mdm2, Bad and members of the caspase family that collectively play an important role in promoting tumor cell growth, proliferation, suppression of apoptosis, promotion of cellular invasion, tumor metastasis and angiogenesis (20).