title: Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and its role in B-cell malignancy.
abstract: BTK is a kinase that functions downstream of multiple receptors in various hematologic cells. This review focuses on BTK-dependent pathways that are likely to be involved in maintaining the malignant phenotype in B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Survival of various B-cell malignancies requires BTK-dependent signals from the B-cell antigen receptor. Survival is also dependent on malignant cells homing to and interacting with lymphoid microenvironments, and these interactions are also BTK-dependent due its role in signaling downstream of chemokine and innate immune receptors. The potential for therapeutic targeting of BTK is currently being tested in clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacyclics, Inc., Sunnyvale ,  California ,  USA.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Buggy
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elias
mesh_terms: D000077329:Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077329:Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase; C000625949:BTK protein, human; C000625951:Btk protein, mouse