Non-receptor Tyrosine Kinases Role and Significance in Hematological Malignancies

Abstract

This chapter presents a review about non-receptor tyrosine kinases, their structure, mechanisms of action and physiopathology, and how they are regulated and interact with other molecules and other signaling pathways, contributing to the regulation of fundamental cellular functions such as cell division and differentiation, stress responses, apoptosis, survival, and proliferation, gene expression, immune response, inter alia. Special emphasis will be assigned to the JAK family, the processes whereby it can be mutated/regulated and aberrantly activated, clinical significance and association with hematological disease pro- gression and malignancy, mainly in myeloproliferative neoplasms. Consideration of these mechanisms may have important implications for selection of anti-cancer targeted therapies.