Establishing the role of tyrosine kinase 2 in cancer.

摘要

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is a member of the Janus family of non-receptor tyrosinekinases involved in cytokine signaling. TYK2 deficiency is associated withincreased susceptibility to mycobacterial and viral infections, hyper IgEsyndrome as well as with allergic asthma. However the precise role of TYK2 inoncogenesis and tumor progression is not clear yet. Tyk2-deficient mice are proneto develop tumors because they lack efficient cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cell antitumorresponses as a result of deficient Type I interferon signaling. However, as TYK2 functions downstream of growth factor receptors that are often hyperactivated in cancer, inhibiting TYK2 might also have beneficial effects for cancer treatment.