Tyrosine Kinase Networks in Pediatric Cancer

Understanding how childhood cancer cells respond to extra- or intracellular signals is key to identifying how signal transduction pathways might be specifically activated in tumor cells. Targeting of these pathways can then be used as a treatment strategy, while minimizing effects on normal growth. Central to cellular signaling pathways are protein kinases, which enzymatically link phosphate groups to tyrosine, serine, or threonine residues of substrate proteins, thus activating or inhibiting their functions. It is well established that receptor protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) can be activated by mutations or ov…