Role and significance of c-KIT receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer: A review

Authors

  • Emana Sheikh OMS-III, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
  • Tony Tran Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.
  • Semir Vranic College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9743-7265
  • Arkene Levy Department of Medical Education, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.
  • R. Daniel Bonfil Department of Medical Education, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2021.7399

Keywords:

c-KIT, CD117, cancer, receptor tyrosine kinases, stem cell factor receptor

Abstract

c-kit is a classical proto-oncogene that encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that responds to stem cell factor (SCF). C-KIT signaling is a critical regulator of cell proliferation, survival, and migration and is implicated in several physiological processes, including pigmentation, hematopoiesis and gut movement. Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated c-KIT function, caused by either overexpression or mutations in c-kit, promotes tumor development and progression in various human cancers. In this review, we discuss the most important structural and biological features of c-KIT, as well as insights into the activation of intracellular signaling pathways following SCF binding to this RTK. We then illustrate how different c-kit alterations are associated with specific human cancers and describe recent studies that highlight the contribution of c-KIT to cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and progression to metastatic disease in different experimental models. The impact of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in treating c-KIT-positive tumors and limitations due to their propensity to develop drug resistance are summarized. Finally, we appraise the potential of novel therapeutic approaches targeting c-KIT more selectively while minimizing toxicity to normal tissue.

Role and significance of c-KIT receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer: A review

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Published

16-09-2022

How to Cite

1.
Role and significance of c-KIT receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer: A review. Biomol Biomed [Internet]. 2022 Sep. 16 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];22(5):683-98. Available from: https://bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/7399