Fig. 3. Clinical implication of mTOR upstream regulators in pediatric brain tumors and various brain developmental disorders. Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signals induced by growth factors (GFs; e.g., EGF and PDGF) lead to the activation of mTOR through the modulation of upstream molecules including RAS, PTEN, AKT, RHEB and TSC1/2 in NSCs. The mTOR signal is involved in multiple NSC functions, such as NSC proliferation and differentiation into neurons and glial cells. The abnormalities in mTOR activity caused by mutations in PTEN, TSC1/2, RHEB and NF1 (neurofibromin) (*) are frequently observed in the patients with pediatric brain tumors (gliomas) and neurological disorders (autism, epilepsy, mental retardation and ADHD).
© Exp Neurobiol
