Focal adhesion kinase: the first ten years
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Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Impedance-based Real-time Measurement of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion
Published on: April 2, 2020
1Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. jtp@virginia.edu
Abstract:
The protein tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (FAK) plays a prominent role in integrin signaling. FAK activation, demonstrated by an increase in phosphorylation of Tyr397 as well as other sites in the protein, is best understood in the context of the engagement of integrins at the cell surface. Activation of FAK results in recruitment of a number of SH2-domain- and SH3-domain-containing proteins, which mediate signaling to several downstream pathways. FAK-dependent activation of these pathways has been implicated in a diverse array of cellular processes, including cell migration, growth factor signaling, cell cycle progression and cell survival.
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