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Molecular Cancer
Published in: Molecular Cancer 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Review

Role and targeting of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in cancer

Authors: Carminia Maria Della Corte, Giuseppe Viscardi, Raimondo Di Liello, Morena Fasano, Erika Martinelli, Teresa Troiani, Fortunato Ciardiello, Floriana Morgillo

Published in: Molecular Cancer | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene activation is involved in the carcinogenesis process of several human cancers such as anaplastic large cell lymphoma, lung cancer, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors and neuroblastoma, as a consequence of fusion with other oncogenes (NPM, EML4, TIM, etc) or gene amplification, mutation or protein overexpression.
ALK is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that, upon ligand binding to its extracellular domain, undergoes dimerization and subsequent autophosphorylation of the intracellular kinase domain. When activated in cancer it represents a target for specific inhibitors, such as crizotinib, ceritinib, alectinib etc. which use has demonstrated significant effectiveness in ALK-positive patients, in particular ALK-positive non- small cell lung cancer.
Several mechanisms of resistance to these inhibitors have been described and new strategies are underway to overcome the limitations of current ALK inhibitors.
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Metadata
Title
Role and targeting of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in cancer
Authors
Carminia Maria Della Corte
Giuseppe Viscardi
Raimondo Di Liello
Morena Fasano
Erika Martinelli
Teresa Troiani
Fortunato Ciardiello
Floriana Morgillo
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Molecular Cancer / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1476-4598
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0776-2

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