Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and its role in B-cell malignancy

JJ Buggy, L Elias - International reviews of immunology, 2012 - Taylor & Francis
JJ Buggy, L Elias
International reviews of immunology, 2012Taylor & Francis
BTK is a kinase that functions downstream of multiple receptors in various hematologic cells.
This review focuses on BTK-dependent pathways that are likely to be involved in
maintaining the malignant phenotype in B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Survival of
various B-cell malignancies requires BTK-dependent signals from the B-cell antigen
receptor. Survival is also dependent on malignant cells homing to and interacting with
lymphoid microenvironments, and these interactions are also BTK-dependent due its role in …
BTK is a kinase that functions downstream of multiple receptors in various hematologic cells. This review focuses on BTK-dependent pathways that are likely to be involved in maintaining the malignant phenotype in B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Survival of various B-cell malignancies requires BTK-dependent signals from the B-cell antigen receptor. Survival is also dependent on malignant cells homing to and interacting with lymphoid microenvironments, and these interactions are also BTK-dependent due its role in signaling downstream of chemokine and innate immune receptors. The potential for therapeutic targeting of BTK is currently being tested in clinical settings.
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