MTOR and cancer: It has been shown that the anticancer effects of QC are closely related to the inhibition of the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase)/AKT (protein kinase B)/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells) signaling pathways and to the activation of p53 in cancer cells [22].