MTOR and cyst: Nonetheless, treatment with rapamycin slows down cyst progression and improves renal function in animal models of PKD(Shillingford et al., 2006, Tao et al., 2005, Wahl et al., 2006, Zafar et al., 2010).Although the effect of reducing cyst burden by rapamycin has not been consistent in all animal models or in trials with PKD patients, substantial evidence linking aberrant mTOR activity to cystogenesis suggests that mTOR might be one of complex intertwined pathways in the pathogenesis of PKD and other ciliopathies.