MTOR and systemic lupus erythematosus: The suppression of Akt indirectly decreases the expression of mTOR and HIF-1α, thereby reducing Th17 cells and IL-17 in glomeruli and tubules, supporting the model that MSC treatment suppresses the activation of the Akt/mTOR/HIF-1α/Th17 pathway to modulate immune abnormality in SLE (Figure 2) [43].