综述:mTOR信号通路与“炎-癌”转变

慢性炎症是指刺激因素持续作用或其他原因导致的难以消退的炎症反应．它与许多重大疾病的发生、发展密切相关．近年来，慢性炎症在癌症发生发展中的关键作用得到普遍认可，其促癌作用的机制已成为当前生命科学研究热点之一．哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(mammalian target of rapamycin, mTOR)是接受细胞内外各种信号、调节细胞生长与代谢的关键分子，多数肿瘤存在mTOR通路的过度激活．最近，我们与其他实验室的研究发现mTOR通路在“炎-癌”转变中起重要作用．本综述将对慢性炎症与癌症的关系、慢性炎症的促癌作用机制做一概括介绍，重点讨论mTOR信号通路介导慢性炎症促癌效应的作用、机制及未来研究方向，为慢性炎症恶性转化分子机制研究提供新的观点．

Review: mTOR Signaling Pathway Linking Chronic Inflammation and Malignant Transformation

Chronic inflammation, caused by persistent stimuli or other reasons, often progress to nonresolving inflammation. It contributes significantly to pathogenesis of many diseases. In recent years, the key role of chronic inflammation in the development of cancer is widely recognized and the mechanism involved has become one of the research hotspots of life science. To date, much progress has been made in this area. This review will make an overview about the link between chronic inflammation and cancer and the underlying mechanisms, and then focus on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in mediating chronic inflammation induced cancer promotion and the potential direction for future research. It is hoped to open a new window for understanding the pathways linking chronic inflammation and malignant transformation.