The Role of Tyrosine Kinases in Cancer: Signal Transduction Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

Tyrosine kinases are key mediators in cellular signaling, governing essential processes such as growth, differentiation, metabolism, and apoptosis. In cancer, these kinases often become dysregulated due to mutations, overexpression, or autocrine-paracrine signaling, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation and tumor development. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), a prominent subset, are frequently implicated in cancer, with many tumors exhibiting dependency on aberrant RTK signaling. This dependency has made RTKs a major focus for targeted cancer therapies, particularly through the development of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Despite the initial success of these inhibitors in clinical settings, the emergence of resistance remains a significant hurdle, often leading to relapse. Advances in technology are now facilitating the identification of novel RTK inhibitors, aiming to overcome resistance and improve therapeutic outcomes. This abstract highlight the importance of understanding the signal transduction mechanisms of tyrosine kinases and emphasizes their potential as therapeutic targets in the ongoing battle against cancer. Key words: Tyrosine kinase, Cancer, signaling, Inhibitor, drugs