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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays
07:42

Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays

Published on: September 19, 2018

The Syk tyrosine kinase: a new negative regulator in tumor growth and progression

Peter J Coopman1, Susette C Mueller

  • 1CNRS UMR 5539, Université Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier, France. coopman@univ-montp2.fr

Cancer Letters
|January 31, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) suppresses tumor growth and metastasis, contrary to expectations for a tyrosine kinase. Reduced Syk expression, often due to hypermethylation, is linked to increased cancer metastasis risk.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) was traditionally considered hematopoietic cell-specific.
  • Emerging research shows Syk expression in non-hematopoietic cells, playing a tumor-suppressive role.
  • Decreased Syk expression is observed in various cancers, including breast cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Syk in non-hematopoietic cells concerning cancer.
  • To understand the mechanisms behind Syk's tumor-suppressive function.
  • To explore Syk as a potential prognostic marker in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Syk expression levels in different tumor types.
  • Mechanistic studies involving Syk re-expression in cancer models.
  • Investigation of Syk gene regulation, including promoter hypermethylation.
  • Correlation analysis between Syk expression and clinical outcomes, particularly metastasis.

Main Results:

  • Syk re-expression demonstrated a suppressive effect on tumorigenesis and metastasis.
  • Loss of Syk expression is associated with promoter hypermethylation in some cancers.
  • Reduced Syk expression correlates with an increased risk of metastasis across various tumor types.

Conclusions:

  • Syk acts as a tumor suppressor, a novel finding for a tyrosine kinase.
  • Syk promoter hypermethylation contributes to its loss in cancer.
  • Syk is a potential prognostic marker for metastasis risk in cancer patients.

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