MTOR and cancer: Activation of NF-ΚB and mTOR, which are downstream of AKT, promotes cell survival by enhancing the DDR and mediating autophagy and apoptosis.24,52 The PI3K-AKT pathway plays a key role in maintaining the transcriptional translation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in tumors.53 Inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway can reduce tumor hypoxia and induce arrest at the G2/M phase in cancer cells sensitive to DNA damage by RT.