Figure 6. Schematic representation of the working hypothesis.
Both TGFβ and bleomycin activates PI3 Kinase-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. While mTOR modulate the expression of various adhesion molecules, integrins, MMPs and laminins via transcriptional regulation, expression of major ECM proteins such as fibronectin and collagens were regulated by mTOR at the stage of protein synthesis involving P70 S6 Kinase and 4E-BP1 pathway.