c-Kit – The Novel Receptor: Physiological Roles, Downstream Signaling and Implications in Cancer
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Medical Research - Year 2021, Vol 2, Issue 3
Abstract
The belief that adult mammalian heart lacks regenerative potential was challenged by the identification of c-kit positive Cardiac Progenitor Cells (CPCs) in the heart. SCIPIO; a phase I clinical trial; has shown that autologous c-kit positive CPCs improve cardiac function and quality of life when transplanted into ischemic heart disease patients. c-Kit is a type III receptor tyrosine kinase and a common stem cell antigen. Stem Cell Factor (SCF) is the only known ligand for c-kit. Activation of this membrane bound receptor is known to play a crucial role in many physiological processes like hematopoiesis, immune regulation, pigmentation, gametogenesis, intestinal motility, vasculogenesis, lung and brain development. Likewise, aberrant c-kit stimulation results in several pathological conditions, including tumors of the gut, blood, lung, breast, germ cells, melanocytes and mast cells. Several pro-growth, prosurvival signaling pathways like the MAPK, PI-3K and the phospholipase C and D pathways are involved in mediating the downstream effects, following the activation of this receptor. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the structure, function, signaling mechanisms of c-kit activation and its role in normal and pathological conditions.
Authors and Affiliations
Bathri N Vajravelu*, Tareq Al-Maqtari
Keywords
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- EP ID EP698986
- DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.46889/JCMR.2021.2304
- Views 58
- Downloads 0
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