Rapamycin is a natural macrocyclic antibiotic with both antifungal and immunosuppressive activities.
In mammalian T-lymphocytes, Rapamycin blocks the signal transduction pathway initiated by interleukin-2.
Rapamycin has also shown promising anticancer activities in preclinical and clinical studies, acting as an antiproliferative agent in vascular, endothelial and smooth muscle cells. It also induced apoptosis in two rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines.
Together with FKBP12, Rapamycin creates a toxic complex that irreversibly inhibits mTOR kinase- a downstream effector of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway.
By the use of this mechanism Rapamycin arrests the progression of G-phase T-cells to S phase. The FKBP12 -Rapamycin complex also inhibits the Ca2+-calmodulin-regulated protein serine-threonine phosphatase, Calcineurin.
Alomone Labs is pleased to offer Rapamycin (#R-900), isolated and purified from Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp hygroscopicus.