c-Kit Receptors as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer: Current Insights

Abstract

c-Kit is a type III receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that has an essential role in various biological functions including gametogenesis, melanogenesis, hematopoiesis, cell survival, and apoptosis. c-KIT aberrations, either overexpression or loss-of-function mutations, have been implicated in the pathogenesis and development of many cancers, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors, mastocytosis, acute myeloid leukemia, breast, thyroid, and colorectal cancer, making c-KIT an attractive molecular target for the treatment of cancers. Therefore, a lot of effort has been put into investigating the utility of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the management of c-KIT mutated tumors. This review of the literature illustrates the role of c-KIT mutations in many cancers, aiming to provide insights into the role of TKIs as a therapeutic option for cancer patients with c-KIT aberrations. In conclusion, c-KIT is implicated in different types of cancer, and it could be a successful molecular target; however, proper detection of the underlying mutation type is required before starting the appropriate personalized therapy.

Keywords:

• c-KIT
• SCF
• cancer
• RTKs
• TKIs
• therapy

Disclosure

All authors declare that there are no possible conflicts of interest.