ALK

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that mainly exists in nerve cells and neuroglia cells of the brain. Its binding to ligands can promote cell growth and differentiation by activating signaling pathways such as P13K/AKT and JAK/STAT. Some research found the fusion of ALK gene and partner gene caused by chromosome translocation in various tumors. Among them, the NPM-ALK fusion gene in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is most common, and its encoded product can induce abnormal cell proliferation, thereby triggering cellular carcinogenesis. Therefore, ALK has become an important diagnostic biomarker for ALCL. Meanwhile, some scholars pointed out that the EML4-ALK fusion gene is a key driving factor for the occurrence and development of individual non-small cell lung cancer, and its positive expression can affect patient survival. However, the expression of the TPM3/4-ALK fusion gene in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is considered as an indicator of the good prognosis of patients. So the mechanism of ALK in different tumors still needs further research.