Biological effects of TrkA and TrkB receptor signaling in neuroblastoma.

Abstract

The Trk family consists of three receptor tyrosine kinases, each of which can be activated by one or more of four neurotrophins-NGF, BDNF, NT3 and NT4. Neurotrophins mediate their multiple effects through a number of distinct intracellular signaling cascades regulating such diverse biological responses as cell survival, proliferation and differentiation in normal and neoplastic neuronal cells. Expression of Trk receptors also plays an important role in the biology and clinical behavior of neuroblastomas. High expression of TrkA is present in neuroblastomas with favorable biological features and highly correlated with patient survival, whereas TrkB is mainly expressed on unfavorable, aggressive neuroblastomas. This short review discusses recent data on the biological roles of TrkA and TrkB signaling in neuroblastoma.

• Authors: Alexander Schramm, Johannes H Schulte, Kathy Astrahantseff, Ognjan Apostolov, Vera van Limpt, Hauke Sieverts, Steffi Kuhfittig-Kulle, Petra Pfeiffer, Rogier Versteeg, Angelika Eggert
• Journal: Cancer letters (Cancer Lett) Vol. 228 Issue 1-2 Pg. 143-53 (Oct 18 2005) ISSN: 0304-3835 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 15921851 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Receptor, trkA
• Receptor, trkB

Topics

• Humans
• Neuroblastoma (metabolism)
• Receptor, trkA (metabolism, physiology)
• Receptor, trkB (metabolism, physiology)
• Signal Transduction