The role of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor in virus infection of organ transplant recipients

At present, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are commonly-used immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplantation, including sirolimus (rapamycin) and everolimus. mTOR inhibitors not only exert an immunosuppressive effect by inhibiting T cell proliferation, but also possess multiple potential functions, such as antiaging, anti-tumor and anti-virus infection, etc. Virus infection is one of the most common complications after organ transplantation. Current anti-viral treatments are limited and yield poor efficacy. In this article, the role of mTOR pathway in virus infection, the mechanism of common mTOR inhibitors and the role of mTOR inhibitors in different types of virus infections were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for clinical application and subsequent research of mTOR inhibitors in organ transplant recipients.