The Role of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Bladder Cancer

Abstract

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies in older men worldwide. Compared to other common types of cancer, molecular basis driving the emergence of bladder cancer remains still poorly understood. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a group of membrane proteins with intracellular tyrosine kinase activities that are activated upon ligand binding to their extracellular domains. RTKs play important roles in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and migration by controlling the activation of two major downstream signaling pathways RAS/MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR. In the large family of RTKs, activating mutations or amplification of FGFR3, EGFR (ERBB-1), ERBB-2 (Her2/neu) and ERBB-3 have been mostly associated with different stages and grades of bladder cancer. In the present chapter, we review the current knowledge on the utility of these kinases for the much needed molecular classification of bladder cancer and discuss different therapeutic approaches aimed at their inhibition. Understanding the intricate relationship between receptor tyrosine kinases and the progression of bladder cancer will help improve the prediction of disease outcome and facilitate discovery of new drugs for personalized therapy. © 2019 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.