Exploiting the mTOR paradox for disease prevention

Radiation therapy is one of the most widely used cancer treatments [10]. In patients with oral cancer, radiation of the head and neck area can result in a side effect called mucositis, a debilitating condition involving painful and deep ulcerations on the oral cavity as a result of damage to the normal tissue. Mucositis causes distress to the patients and results also in substantial increase in patient care cost [11]. In our study, we observed that short term treatment with rapamycin can reduce the undesired effects of radiation in the normal tissues, and prevents the appearance of mucositis in a mouse model. Since rapamycin is an FDA approved drug, this study may provide the basis for further testing in humans. Mucositis prevention would have a remarkable impact in the quality of life and recovery of cancer patients,