1. History of ALK in oncology.
History of ALK in oncology. The first discovery of an oncogenic mutant of ALK was that of NPM1-ALK associated with ALCLs in 1994, which was followed by the identification of TPM3/4-ALK associated with IMTs, EML4-ALK associated with NSCLCs, mutated/amplified ALK associated with neuroblastoma (NBL), VCL-ALK associated with RMCs, mutated ALK associated with ATCs, and amplified ALK associated with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Whereas several ALK inhibitors are currently in clinical trials, one such compound, crizotinib, was approved as a therapeutic drug for ALK-rearranged NSCLCs in 2011.
Hiroyuki Mano Cancer Discovery 2012;2:
©2012 by American Association for Cancer Research