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Review
. 2018 May;372(2):325-337.
doi: 10.1007/s00441-017-2784-8. Epub 2018 Jan 27.

The ALK receptor in sympathetic neuron development and neuroblastoma

Isabelle Janoueix-Lerosey  1   2 , Lucille Lopez-Delisle  3   4 , Olivier Delattre  3   5 , Hermann Rohrer  6
Affiliations
Review

The ALK receptor in sympathetic neuron development and neuroblastoma

Isabelle Janoueix-Lerosey et al. Cell Tissue Res. 2018 May.

Abstract

The ALK gene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor characterized by an expression pattern mainly restricted to the developing central and peripheral nervous systems. In 2008, the discovery of ALK activating mutations in neuroblastoma, a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, represented a breakthrough in the understanding of the pathogenesis of this pediatric cancer and established mutated ALK as a tractable therapeutic target for precision medicine. Subsequent studies addressed the identity of ALK ligands, as well as its physiological function in the sympathoadrenal lineage, its role in neuroblastoma development and the signaling pathways triggered by mutated ALK. This review focuses on these different aspects of the ALK biology and summarizes the various therapeutic strategies relying on ALK inhibition in neuroblastoma, either as monotherapies or combinatory treatments.

Keywords: ALK; Neuroblastoma; Signaling; Sympathetic ganglia; Targeted therapy.

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