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Updated: May 26, 2026

Pre-clinical Evaluation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Leukemia
10:49

Pre-clinical Evaluation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Leukemia

Published on: September 18, 2013

TAM receptors in leukemia: expression, signaling, and therapeutic implications

Luis Brandão1, Justine Migdall-Wilson, Kristen Eisenman

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.

Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis
|December 14, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Targeting TAM receptors (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) offers a promising strategy for treating relapsed leukemia, addressing limitations of current therapies and reducing pediatric patient toxicities.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Leukemia and lymphoma treatments have advanced, but relapsed cases and pediatric toxicities remain significant challenges.
  • The TAM receptor tyrosine kinases (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) are crucial in normal hematopoiesis and implicated in cancer development.
  • Aberrant TAM receptor expression is linked to myeloid and lymphoid leukemias, driving pro-survival and proliferation pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of TAM receptors in leukemia pathogenesis.
  • To outline TAM receptor expression patterns and overexpression mechanisms in various leukemias.
  • To discuss TAM receptor signaling pathways involved in leukemogenesis and therapeutic targeting.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on TAM receptors in leukemia.
  • Analysis of TAM receptor expression patterns across different leukemia subtypes.
  • Examination of downstream signaling pathways activated by TAM receptors.
  • Review of current therapeutic strategies targeting TAM receptors.

Main Results:

  • TAM receptors are differentially expressed in various leukemia types.
  • Overexpression of TAM receptors contributes to leukemogenesis through pro-survival signaling.
  • Specific signaling pathways downstream of TAM receptors are implicated in leukemia development.
  • Inhibitors targeting TAM receptors are under investigation as novel therapeutic agents.

Conclusions:

  • TAM receptors represent a critical therapeutic target for leukemia.
  • Targeting TAM receptors may overcome resistance to conventional therapies.
  • Developing TAM receptor inhibitors could lead to more effective and less toxic leukemia treatments.

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