Targeting of lysosomal-bound protein mEAK-7 for cancer therapy.

mEAK-7 (mammalian EAK-7 or MTOR-associated protein, eak-7 homolog), is an evolutionarily conserved lysosomal membrane protein that is highly expressed in several cancer cells. Multiple recent studies have identified mEAK-7 as a positive activator of mTOR (mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling via an alternative mTOR complex, implying that mEAK-7 plays an important role in the promotion of cancer proliferation and migration. In addition, structural analyses investigating interactions between mEAK-7 and V-ATPase, a protein complex responsible for regulating pH homeostasis in cellular compartments, have suggested that mEAK-7 may contribute to V-ATPase-mediated mTORC1 activation.