A novel semisynthetic inhibitor of the FRB domain of mammalian target of rapamycin blocks proliferation and triggers apoptosis in chemoresistant prostate cancer cells.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of cell growth and its uncontrolled activation is a hallmark of cancer. Moreover, mTOR activation has been implicated in the resistance of cancer cells to many anticancer drugs, rendering this pathway a promising pharmacotherapeutic target. Here we explored the capability of a semisynthetic compound to intercept mTOR signaling.