The future of B-cell lymphoma therapy: the B-cell receptor and its downstream pathways

Curr Hematol Malig Rep. 2012 Sep;7(3):216-20. doi: 10.1007/s11899-012-0127-0.

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly apparent that tonic signaling through the B cell receptor provides a growth and survival signal in many types of B cell lymphomas, and that disruption of B cell receptor signaling can be lethal to malignant B cells. Several small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which block signaling pathways downstream from the B cell receptor, are in active clinical development. Preliminary data suggests impressive activity in relapsed and refractory B cell lymphomas. Among the kinases which have been targeted are Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). This article discusses the rationale for targeting these pathways and summarizes the current clinical trial data for agents targeting Syk, BTK, and PI3K.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / physiology
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / drug therapy*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / enzymology
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / physiology
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / physiology
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Syk Kinase

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • BTK protein, human
  • SYK protein, human
  • Syk Kinase